We’ve all worked for a leader who lacked skill and understanding at one point or another. These bad leadership qualities impact company performance, morale, and employee engagement. And fingers are often pointed at the company’s leaders.
6 Characteristics of a Bad Leader
Here are come characteristics of a bad leader you may have experienced:
- Demands respect
- Instills fear
- Vague goals and desired outcomes
- Says one thing but does another
- Shames employees in front of others
- Doesn’t give praise
The best leaders focus on making you feel valued. You know they care about you, value your input, and have your best interests at heart. How do you feel when you look at the leaders of your organization? If you find yourself feeling less certain because of unpleasant and disorganized leadership. This article is for you.
Before you put yourself in the market looking for a new job, consider some of these solutions that can help you with your toxic boss. Here’s how you can make the best of a bad situation:
Don’t fall into the blame game
If you are trying to work things out, don’t fall into the game of blaming. Behaviors that you describe as arrogant, ridiculous, or unprofessional can be triggered by something you are unaware of. Ask yourself, do you really understand where your toxic boss is coming from?
Silence and negligence do not solve your situation. As part of your job, why not help your boss become better? Look for ways to improve communication barriers in the workplace and collaboration. By identifying ways to better your working relationship, then maybe your situation will improve.
Own It
Focus on what you can control, rather than what is out of your control. Adding to the drama by complaining about the situation will not help you achieve the solution you seek. It’s typical to list out all the difficult aspects of the boss, job, and company when facing a mess of leadership.
As a result, you only add to the problem. You’re no closer to getting a better boss or work environment by doing this. Put your energy into what you can do. For example, come up with strategies to help advance a job, project or meeting.
Take responsibility for your part in the situation. Bring solutions to the table. We are less likely to feel empowered to find a solution and make our current environment better if we are stuck dwelling on the problem, person, or situation.
Eye on the ball
Good leadership can drive a company to success, while bad leadership can do the opposite. This can create cultures of bad behavior and overshadow the brand itself.
Concentrate on achieving results and keep your eye on the ball. Your continued commitment to high-quality work will be a huge asset to the organization and will impact the bottom line. When we keep this as our focus, we add value and stand out.
Honest Dialogue
Engage in a one-on-one conversation with the leader to get their feedback. Develop a positive, healthier relationship by disarming your defense mechanism.
Ask what you are doing well and what they would like to see more of. Engage in an honest dialogue and use an authentic voice. This is a step to finding common ground in an undesirable setting.
Beware of the circumstances surrounding the messy leadership. The characteristics of a bad leader are not all the same. Changing habits can be really hard. Despite having the best intentions, change sometimes doesn’t happen. It takes great energy to be mindful, self-aware, self-regulating, planning, reflecting, monitoring, adjusting etc.
At some point, you may have to decide whether to stay in your current job or not. In the end, if you stay, make the most of it rather than complain, which drains your energy and that of those you complain to. The quality of your life depends on your attitude and how you handle challenging situations.
