Top traits of horrible bosses
Employees tell what’s loathed in a leader
Though much has been written about great leadership traits, the habits of horrible bosses — though widely recognized by browbeaten workers — get far less attention from researchers.
A new book published by Harvard Business Review Press helps fill that gap, with experts weighing in on the top three qualities likeliest to make a leader loathed by his or her employees. The conclusions are based on thousands of indepth interviews with staff at mid- to large-size organizations in the private and public sector, including professional services, financial institutions, biotech companies, non-profits and government organizations. 1. Judgmental body language and tone
Just as a harsh reprimand can carry a sting, executive coach Muriel Maignan Wilkins says furrowed brows, scowls and exasperated expressions can wreak havoc if used routinely. In other words, it’s not necessarily what a leader says but rather the way he or she delivers that message.
“Even if the boss is saying ‘the right thing,’ if their body language shows signs of frustration, that’s what the employee will believe,” said Maignan Wilkins, co-author of Own the Room. “A lot of leaders will unintentionally use a condescending tone – one that suggests, ‘shouldn’t you know that already?’ And if you peel back the onion, quite frankly, it’s probably what they’re thinking.” 2. Sucking all the air out of a room
Maignan Wilkins notes that the very things that help make leaders stars in an organization — getting their voice heard, dominating a conversation, and winning at all costs — are often the same ones that make them lousy bosses.
“If they don’t turn the switch — recognizing that the value they bring is being able to hear others out, to understand different points of view and to pull them together when making a decision — employees end up feeling like they don’t have much say,” said Maignan Wilkins, who founded the leadership development firm Isis Associates with co-author Amy Jen Su.
“Leaders have to be mindful that for every negative interaction they have with someone, it takes four positive ones to outweigh them.” 3. Inconsistency
Being charming to clients in one breath and berating staff in the next is the third prevailing characteristic of bad bosses. In interviews, employees widely stated that this sort of JekyllHyde behaviour gave them the feeling of walking on eggshells at work, as they never knew which of the two personalities they’d be dealing with.
“You can’t trust what a person is going to do if they show up differently day in and day out,” said Maignan Wilkins. “Whether leadership is consistently good or consistently bad, people just want consistency.”