Some people are born to be great leaders whereas some can never achieve the true heights of good leadership. Being successful in one area never means that you are successful in all others. Particularly, when it comes to leading others as a great leader, it is a real test of your leading abilities. An efficient leader always works in the interest of his company and acts as a role model to motivate and inspire his employees in every way. A true leader never walks away from his responsibilities as it is an eminent display of bad leadership qualities. In fact, he works harder than any of the company’s employees.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
–John Quincy Adams
Some Fast Facts about Good and Bad Leadership Qualities
Remember, a good salesperson cannot necessarily lead a sales team successfully as a good influential leader. You have to possess and exhibit the best telltale leadership qualities to lead a team from the forefront. A bad leader is always a source of discomfort to his followers. Studies show that 75% of Americans believe that their boss is the most stressful part of their working day. However, they bear him to remain in a good working relationship as long as they have to be together.
This article carries some very prominent bad leadership characteristics which you must be aware of. Knowing these worst leadership traits will help you define your relationship with your own boss. It will also improve your personal leadership qualities. Afterward, if you ever get a chance to lead from the front, your team members will be least likely to be hit by some anxiety or stress.
Let’s dive into the leadership weaknesses of a failed leader.
8 Really Bad Qualities of a Poor Leadership
Not all leaders are blessed with superb leadership features to serve their teams in the best possible way. There are many ineffective leaders whom you can swiftly identify from these bad boss signs. However, if you are also a not-so-good leader, try your best to eliminate your poor leadership qualities. It will keep you as well as your followers free from any form of stress whatsoever. Here we go now with the major aspects of the failure of a leader.
Unable to Face Conflicts Or Disputes Boldly
A bad leader always pretends that everything is going normal and assumes that abnormalities, if any, will fix themselves automatically. This is a very disgusting approach on the part of a boss. There do raise conflicts and disputes among the staff members while working together. Accumulated frustrations, resentment, and poor communication will be there if an incompetent head or a leader keeps dodging these conflicts, disputes, or unpleasant situations. On the contrary, a bold leader will face such issues openly and solve them proactively. He will always feel relaxed and enjoy great health and a sound sleep throughout.
He Never Empowers His Employees, But Discourages Them
The moment a bad leader begins to take his title or ranking to his head, he shifts his focus from team empowerment to boosting his own feelings of self worth. He does not know that true leadership is not about exerting control over the employees. Rather, a sincere boss should be guiding and giving directions to his juniors to grow and reach their actual potential. Instead of doing so, an arrogant leader often discourages and demoralizes his subordinates. He never feels the pulse of his company culture. His subordinates never feel satisfied working in such an atmosphere. In contrast, an honest and caring leader encourages and empowers his employees and, in return, gets himself empowered. He considers the power of his team the best source of his income and profits.
Also Read: Role Strain
He Fails to See the Strength of His Team – A Sheer Proof of His Bad Leadership Qualities
A foresighted leader always perceives the hidden qualities of his teammates. Unfortunately, an otherwise leader never keeps this quality and always leads his team with blinders on. He never cares to use tools that can uncover the true potential or the real strength of his workforce. More than quite often, he overlooks someone’s natural talent that could have been very helpful in the execution of certain tasks. Failing to see these natural reflexes, a negligent boss is never able to assign the right task to the right person. Besides, he can never motivate and communicate effectively with them. Instead of recognizing their efforts, he is often bullying them with his odd leadership style. He is way far from having integrity with his team members. He never believes in the following from Brian Tracy.
Integrity is the most valuable and respected quality of leadership. Always keep your words.
-Brian Tracy
He Never Holds Himself Accountable
Pointing fingers at others and being passive is very easy but shameful to do. Those who always blame others for their failure can never become successful leaders. A flop leader never takes the responsibility for the outcome of projects or tasks that are dire for the progress of the company. Instead of leading from the front, a timid leader places blame on others or feels himself like the victim. He always takes credit for the good but never owns the bad. He does not take the initiative to improve his own performance as well as that of his team members. One of the bad leadership qualities is to leave the team hanging when situations take a turn for the worst. Always keep in mind that he earns most who serves his team most.
He Never Listens to Others’ Viewpoint
A real boss must be the most effective listener for his team. Through informative communication (proper speaking and listening), he comes to know what he needs to work on as per the demand of the situation. On the other hand, a fake leader is mentally never ready to listen to the viewpoints of others. He does not like to take their advice on anything important for the organization or the common cause. He always gives them the impression that he has a know-it-all attitude. His message to his employees is to follow him blindly because he has a “My way or the highway” type of mindset.
Remember, listening is not all about keeping quiet so that others may talk and give you their views. It also includes paying attention to others’ body language, giving them feedback on what you have just heard from them. It further involves paraphrasing and confirming your understanding of what they have said a little before. The worst of all this is that he never tries to be an extrovert who steals the spotlight and initiates several daily discussions. In short, he is neither an active listener nor a fluent speaker.
He Remains Indecisive Even about the Crucial Matters
At times, you may have to be indecisive for quite some time when you are weighing the available options. But, if you keep riding the fence for fear of ‘what ifs’ for too long, it is sure to create doubts about your leadership. A careless leader never takes timely decisions even about crucial matters. This escalates frustration among the followers and they become irritated about the pending issues. Deciding wrong is much better than not deciding at all. Always keep in mind that:
“The one word that makes a good manager — decisiveness.”
-Lee Iaccoca
However, if you ever happen to make a wrong decision, admit it openly and reverse it humbly and immediately. You will earn greater respect in return.
He Never Leads By Example – One of the Terribly Bad Leadership Qualities
The greatest leadership principle is certainly leading by example. An impractical leader is often heard saying, ”Do as I say, not as I do.” Rather, he must be saying, “Do as I do.” It is absolutely right that your followers tend to follow your example. Generally speaking, a man is a blend of both good and bad qualities. But, a smart leader must be a role model for his team to follow and prosper in life.
Micromanagement
An unwise leader never knows that micromanagement to a dangerous extent always limits the growth and evolution of his team of employees. He never tends to give them ownership of their projects or processes. As a result, they never gain confidence in their personal managing abilities and their minds gradually stop working creatively. They are always found trying to devise ways to manage such a boss. Such a highly inflexible approach never delivers worthy results to be proud of. Also, such a distrusting leader is doomed to failure in the long run. Contrary to all this, a sensible leader just guides his employees about his goals and their importance. He then leaves up to their talent, skills, and wisdom regarding how they can manage to achieve those goals with profound satisfaction and perseverance.
In the End, What Should Be Done with Bad Qualities of Leadership?
Facing a lot of bad leadership qualities on the part of your leader or manager is quite a normal thing. The best you can do is to keep handling the tense situation with the supreme most power of your nerves. Also, try your maximum to polish yourself by developing the best leadership qualities to lead your followers. This will help you if you are ever blessed with a golden chance to do so. Be sure that good leadership is hard and the road to reach there is paved with blunders. You will always have to work pretty hard to avoid weaknesses or lapses of a flop or failed leadership.
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