Are workers confident in their boss?

At some work locations, complaining about the boss is as regular an occurrence as filling out your timecard or taking a lunch break.

But a new survey shows that workers have quite a bit of confidence in the supervisors who lead them.

Forty-four per cent of more than 400 US workers surveyed by staffing service OfficeTeam said their boss has very strong leadership skills. An additional 32% said their boss has somewhat strong leadership skills.

Meanwhile, 67% of respondents said they could not do a better job than their boss. Just 22% said they think they can do a better job than their boss, and the remainder said they didn't know or the question did not apply to them.

For those who are interested in becoming a manager, OfficeTeam suggested considering five questions:

• Are you comfortable making difficult decisions? Choices made by managers don't always please everyone.

• Can you inspire others? The ability to motivate others is an essential part of management.

• Are you a good listener? Strong communication is a key to leadership, and hearing the perspectives of others is an important part of the dialogue.

• Do you mind taking the blame? The boss often is held accountable when things go wrong.

• Are you OK stepping away from day-to-day activities? Management roles can mean delegating tasks and relinquishing hands-on duties.

—Ken Tysiac (ktysiac@aicpa.org) is a CGMA Magazine editorial director.