Are you unknowingly a bad boss?

Leadership can be a tough mantle to carry in the modern-day workplace. With so many moving parts at play, being a manager or boss can be overwhelming, which makes self-evaluation so crucial.

HR Leader recently spoke to careers expert Michelle Gibbings, who spoke about bosses being unaware of their negative behaviours and the overall effect it can have on their team. Gibbings explained some of the behaviours or attitudes that bad bosses often have.

“It’s always about them – The leader never acknowledges the efforts of their team, always talks about themselves and what they need, and makes sure they always look good. It’s about them winning and coming out on top. It’s never their fault. – The leader is reluctant to admit mistakes and seeks to blame others to ensure there is little or no scrutiny on how they need to change or improve,” Gibbings said.

“Similarly, their team appears to struggle to regroup and learn when things go wrong. They won’t compromise – They are unwilling or find it very hard to change their mind, and seek always to get what they want, whether it’s resources, rewards or approval of ideas. They rarely, if ever, compromise.”

A common error that leaders can make in the workplace is favouritism. At face value, they may be doing so unknowingly, but it’s an error that other members of the team notice straight away and can really affect their attitude towards the workplace and their job tasks.

“They play favourites – The leader always promotes one person in the team over the rest, and delegates the good work or rewards only to that one person,” Gibbings said.

“They don’t back their team – Team members are rarely promoted, suggesting the leader may not be good at coaching and developing. Neither is the team diverse and inclusive, indicating the leader may only be hiring people who fit a certain mould.”

That boss/worker dynamic can be an awkward relationship if it lacks clear boundaries and mutual respect. At the same time, that relationship is pivotal to workplace productivity and business outcomes.

“The employee-boss dynamic impacts workplace productivity and culture, and ultimately organisational outcomes. It can impact performance, employee turnover, the ability to attract key talent and customer satisfaction.

“The Great Place to Work Institute found that trust between managers and employees is a defining characteristic of organisations that are listed in their annual ‘100 Best Companies to Work for’ list. Similarly, a study by Alex Edmans, professor of finance at the London Business School, found that the top companies to work for increased their share value by 50 per cent,” Gibbings said.

Business outcomes are, of course, important to any working organisation. However, leaders and managers also have the responsibility of ensuring that their workers’ safety, wellbeing, and mental state are secure.

“In Australia, there are obligations for employers to address psychosocial hazards. Hazards include things like: bullying, sexual harassment, fatigue etc.,” Gibbings said.

As responsibilities for leaders grow, steering clear of behaviours that can create a negative environment is imperative. Therefore, constantly evaluating your actions as a leader through personal reviews and communication with your employees is a must.