Are You A Bad Leader? Here Are 5 Signs to Look For

Paul Keijzer — May 29, 2020

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Whether you’re a senior-level executive or a manager, you might have experienced the ramifications of poor leadership qualities at some point in your career.

Let’s face it: there is absolutely no magical drama-free team. Every leader faces radical challenges every day that test their skills, patience, and mindset. However, what separates a good leader from a bad one is how they respond to those challenges. Poor leaders with their undesirable traits end up disengaging their employees and tearing down their organization. On the other hand, good leaders use their insatiable curiosity, out-of-the-box thinking and the powerful tool of communication to help the business thrive.

While it is easy to identify the bad leadership traits, it can be a serious challenge to understand it when you’re a bad leader yourself. I understand it can be distressing when you are you shackled by the chains of poor leadership. So here are 5 qualities to recognize what makes one a terrible leader:

1. You Stay in Your Comfort Zone

The best leaders know how to pull the future forward, which is why their organizations always stay ahead of their competitors. Leaders who are complacent with the current state of things or who are more concerned about surviving than growing tend not to do well in the long-run. Successful leaders focus on bringing about change and innovation to keep their organizations dynamic and growing. In short, if you’re a leader who builds a static business, you’re doomed to failure.

2. You Lack Vision or Company Values

If you don’t have a clear vision or a goal for how you expect your team to progress under your leadership, it is inevitable that your company will lag behind. Without a compelling vision to inspire your employees, goals to support and enhance team performance, and values that reflect the company’s core beliefs, you’ll end up trailing off. Visionless leaders fail to spur their employees to work towards a common goal since the purpose of the journey is ambiguous.

3. You Have Narcissistic Tendencies

If, as a leader, you don’t believe in the concept of “service above self”, you will not bother to boost the trust and confidence of those you lead.

Leaders with narcissistic tendencies, having an abundance of ego, and arrogance make others feel like losers, thus proving themselves a winner in the process. They hold others accountable for their own mistakes and don’t give credit where it is due. At their most toxic phase, they prompt their employees doubt their self and in turn make them question the ultimate value of them as an employer.

A great leader, however, doesn’t underestimate the power that comes from recognizing high performers. In fact, Gallup survey indicates that people who receive regular recognition and praise are intrinsically motivated, which in turn increases their productivity and engagement with the other employees.

Wondering how good of a leader are you? Ask your team how much they wish to be led by you. If you don’t receive a vote of confidence from your subordinates, the game is over for you.

4. You Fail to Communicate

Most leaders believe they are great communicators, but when you ask their team to reiterate what they just heard, they cannot seem to do it.

Clear, concise and positive communication is the hallmark of a great leader. Therefore, if you have poor communication skills and aren’t ready to accept ideas and criticism, you’re not likely to last long in a leadership position.

As active listeners and fluid thinkers, great leaders fully understand that “communicating” isn’t simply getting your point across to employees, it is about listening to the other side as well and opening a dialogue. This is why, in contrast to weak leaders who flounder when faced with hardships, great leaders communicate effectively under all circumstances and across all mediums.

5. You Withhold Information

A fundamental cause of turnover is a lack of personal and organizational transparency on the leader’s part. Employees generally don’t like surprises and expect their work environment to give them a sense of clarity of thought, so it is important for leaders to eliminate the fear of unknown that might creep into their people’s minds with each decision they make and relationship they foster.

Employees who understand their role in the overarching purpose and goals of the company and are kept in loop tend to place their trust in the employer. As a result, a team led by a great leader who openly shares information will ultimately work harder, respect the leader, be more innovative, and solve problems much more quickly.

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