Mountain Musings That Troublesome Boss

 

22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:22-24 English Standard Version

I fumed, unable to say a word as my Battalion Commander and CSM (command sergeant major) returned to their HMMWV and drove off in a cloud of dust. It was 1996 at Fort Cavasos (then Fort Hood) and I was a captain and company commander. LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) Winthrop had replaced LTC Reynolds radically changing my life. LTC Reynolds had been quite pleased with my performance as Company Commander, remarking to the Operations Officer that it was nice to have an HHC Commander with a pair of balls. LTC Reynolds allowed me to try new things as a commander without penalty when they did not work as planned. He believed that giving his subordinates latitude encouraged them to grow and develop as leaders. Under his tutelage we all improved and learned how to lead soldiers. He fostered a great command climate. LTC Winthrop was the exact opposite. 

He led through intimidation and threats. He seemed to cherish verbally savaging junior leaders in front of their subordinates, as if their humiliation strengthened him. He fostered a zero-defect command climate, one in which any mistake resulted in a brow-beating. He and I never managed to develop the trust required between a commander and their subordinate commander. What had been a joyous time of growth and development deteriorated into a long drudgery. I found out later that he’d singled me out as being unfit for continued service. Fortunately for me, his efforts to torpedo my career failed to bear the fruit he desired. But this is nothing unusual or limited to the military. We’ve all faced working for supervisors that were mean, vindictive, and hateful.

How we handle such situations reveals much about our character and impacts our witness as believers. As I stood there, unable to respond to the most recent tirade, my 1SG (First Sergeant) quietly intoned, “Sir, that is why they do not let us carry live ammunition on training exercises.” 

He understood my fury and did his best to calm me down. As we turned around and faced my soldiers, witnesses to the severe dressing down, he added, “Sir, they all know that he’s wrong in how he treats you and appreciate the fact that you do not take it out on them.” I do not think he ever fully understood how helpful he was to me. Dealing with an unfair boss is one of those things that all men must face at one time or another. Even those self-employed individuals must face unreasonable customers. 

Paul, through the unction of the Holy Spirit, provides some insight on how to navigate those troublesome waters. First, he reminds us that we must remember that our bosses are our bosses, and we cannot disregard them simply because they are hard to get along with. Second, we must always give them our best, not just when they are looking. Unlike many in the world, we understand that our employers need and deserve the best that we can offer. Third, we provide our service wholeheartedly, not muttering threats underneath our breath. I fear that I frequently joined my peers in griping about our new commander. Though he seemed to single me out for persecution, we all suffered his ill whims and volatile nature. As a Christian, I should not give in to the desire to bad mouth an unfair boss. I should serve with all my heart. We do these things, not because we are masochists, but because we understand that ultimately, we work for the Lord and we hold Him in great respect and reverence…we fear Him. Fourth, we perform our duties for the Lord, knowing we represent Him to the world. How we handle those tough situations speaks volumes. When we respectfully submit to an unfair boss, we model Jesus and how He submitted to the unfair treatment of the cross. Finally, we take the long view. Though I did not enjoy my time under LTC Winthrop, it was short lived, perhaps less than a year. As a believer, I should understand that my time on this earth is short and that there is a future reward which far outweighs the momentary problems I may face in this life.

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:44 Emphasis Added

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us that how we deal with those who we might think of as our enemies, reveals our identity. How we act toward our enemies is quite important. When we treat them well, praying for them and in the case of the abusive boss, giving them our best efforts, we show the world who we are and who our true master is. Keeping the fact that I ultimately serve Christ helps me put the afflictions of the workplace in proper perspective, and empowered by the Holy Spirit treat abusive bosses with graciousness as Jesus representatives in the workplace. 

All the names have been changed.