A leader should strive to be a person that others want to work for, versus have to work for. But as we all know, there are good bosses, not-so-good bosses, and downright horrible ones. How do you know if you’re leaning towards the bad end of the scale?
Continue reading for some tell-tale signs that you are a horrible boss and learn how to be better.
You’re constantly frustrated with your team and believe you are better off without them.
This is an eye-opening sign because the reasons for your frustration with your team point directly back to you. It’s time to ask yourself, “Are they really that bad, or did I make poor hiring choices?”
These questions must be answered so you can begin to deal with the issue.
A few ways to overcome this hurdle is to take a good look at how you are nurturing your team. Are you helping them develop, or leaving them to their own devices? Are you too lenient in some areas and indirectly contributing to their under-performance?
The answers to these questions should spark ways that you can engage your team so you aren’t quick to get frustrated. Because you can’t do everything alone and need their help.
You often lose control and communicate aggressively.
This is one sure way to have your team lose respect for you. Your bully persona to attempt to get things done will backfire. It’ll make your employees nervous or scared to approach you when needed.
And many employees can only tolerate bosses like this for a short amount of time before they quit.
The solution is to communicate in a balanced way, never being too lenient or too tough. A good boss knows when a fire needs to be lit and also when a soft answer is necessary.
If you have deep-rooted control and anger issues, it is also smart to seek wise counsel and get help with healing anything that is a contributing factor.
You don’t value or accept the input of your employees.
This is what they call the my way or the highway mindset and it is not a healthy one to have. You should be confident in knowing that your team cares enough about your business (and their job) to want to contribute to its growth.
However, if you constantly shut your employees down, it can cause several things such as:
- Make them feel inadequate.
- Leave them feeling rejected.
- Aid in your business not excelling.
The list could go on. To become a better leader, it is wise to listen to your employee’s ideas and genuinely consider them. When teams brainstorm innovative ways together, a business will usually thrive!
More to Consider
There are many signs that point to someone being a horrible boss. The three mentioned above are typically the root of them all. If you recognize yourself in any of them, you might also display the following traits:
- Not recognizing your team enough.
- Taking credit for your team’s work.
- Being a rule-breaker.
- Being negative.
- Playing favorites.
- Overworking people.
So, are YOU a horrible boss? The first step to overcoming it is admitting it. Then take the advice shared in this post to begin making steps towards improvement.
Constantly assess yourself as a boss and make any necessary changes to become the leader that your team loves working for.
