Managers get power from job titles. Good leaders grow influence from constructive relationships, with or without a management title. Too many employers don't know the difference between leading and managing, so they promote people who get results through fear, control and secrecy. Instead of surrendering to bad managers, learn from these common habits of terrible bosses to build leadership skills you can leverage in your next job.
They Ignore Ideas and Feedback
Bad managers don't accept input from others, even when employee feedback and ideas could benefit the company. They hoard power out of fear and lack of confidence, believing that management roles give them authority to make decisions without communicating with the team. As a leader, strive to be confident in your own abilities, so you can listen to dissenting opinions and share credit without feeling threatened. Employees trust and support bosses who foster open communication and solve problems.
They Withhold Praise
No matter how hard you work, bad managers rarely give praise, because they refuse to see you as an equal. Weak bosses thrive on an imbalance of power, and showing appreciation for great work is like giving up a position of superiority. Withholding praise is bad for business, as top employees don't stick around when they never get recognition. Giving due credit to employees is a cost-free way to inspire loyalty and build a lasting team that can collaborate well even under tough conditions.
They Block Relationships
Scared bosses want to keep talent contained, and cutting off any connections to higher-ups is the easiest way to stop employees from moving up. Bad managers can't risk the chance that senior leaders might value your opinion and offer you more responsibility. The fact is you shouldn't have to covertly plan "random" encounters just to talk to senior leaders. Strong organizations rely on top-down communication and mentoring to create a talent pipeline and foster future leaders.
They Control and Hide Information
Information enables good decision making, which is why bad managers work hard to keep you from having all the facts. Bad managers try to stay ahead of forward-looking employees by making it hard for you to develop better solutions. They give you just enough direction to get the immediate job done and release crumbs of information here and there to make sure you have a limited view of the company's goals. In the long run, hoarding information prevents progress, hurting everyone in the organization. Effective leaders encourage you to learn more about yourself, your co-workers and your customers, so you add value to daily interactions.
They Don't Stand Up for Employees
Bad managers don't understand why employee relationships are a worthwhile investment. They never accept accountability if they can avoid it and let employees take the fall for problems. Some weak bosses overtly blame employees, while others only use personal influence to protect themselves. On the other hand, leaders who stand up for employees motivate them to improve while showing the entire team that the company values integrity and mutual respect over self-preservation.
Leadership skills don't come from a title. Bad managers rise up the ranks every day, only to create stagnant, fear-based cultures. The next time you job-hunt, save yourself some frustration by looking for signs that your future boss is a leader, not just a manager.
Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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