News Flash: You Are a Bad Boss!!

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Managing a team can feel like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle across a tight rope! It is a lot. Yet, even with the best of intentions, it’s easy to slip into behaviours that may not win ‘Boss of the Year’.

However, if you have started noticing subtle clues that you may be a bad boss, you’re already halfway to becoming a better one. Here are signs that your leadership style needs a glow-up.

1. You Are a Poor Communicator.

We get that you have a lot on your plate and you forgot about the abrupt meeting you scheduled earlier this morning, but sir, why are you keeping us waiting in the conference room for more than 30 minutes? We also have deadlines to meet!

We get Austin, from the creative department, did not submit his copy on time, but Mary, why are you shouting? Why are you banging the table and threatening him with contract termination? You don’t have to shout to prove your point!

We get that you are competitive, but madam, why wouldn’t you share crucial information on a project on time? Don’t you get that we are on the same team? Don’t you understand that if we look incompetent, it reflects on you, too?

2. You Can’t Find Your Own Calendar Without a Map.

If your team has to remind you of meetings that you ironically scheduled, you are doing badly. If you are constantly double-booking clients, meetings, and agendas, it’s time to reorganise your calendar. Also, if you are continually showing up late and forgetting crucial team check-ins, you are definitely sitting in the bad boss sector. Try sharing your calendar with your team for effective productivity, and actually look at it!

3. You’ve Lost Count of The ‘Urgent’ Emails You Sent on Sunday Night.

If your team is used to getting emails with ‘urgent’ as the subject line at 11:00 PM on a Saturday, you might be stressing everyone out. Sure, you are dedicated. You want the work to be done perfectly. We all know you love your job, but Sheila, get a life!!

Working on holidays and off days is a sign of poor time management. Please, my time off is my time off, and I am entitled to it. Kindly respect it! If the office is on fire, please let’s discuss at 8:00 AM, Monday Morning. Constantly nudging people outside working hours without proper compensation is cruel.

Try email scheduling. It will help you and us a lot. Also set emails to arrive during work hours unless it is a life-or-death emergency.

4. Meetings Feel Like Extended Monologues Starring…You!

If during your meetings, you are the only one talking, that’s a big red flag of a toxic boss. If that’s the case, what’s the point of the hurdle up? You could record your lectures and mass send them to the entire team, and the point would still be home!

Even in classrooms, lectures encourage presentation and participation from the students. That’s how you all grow! Stop lecturing your team and embrace healthy discussions in your meetings. Implement a talking stick policy where everyone gets a chance to speak, and you, the boss, actually listen. A session of Q&A helps everyone get on board with the vision and plans of the company.

5. You Hog All the Credit!

When things are going well, you are quick to take the credit and refuse to acknowledge your team’s hard work and dedication to the company. However, when you hit a wall, and things are not going well, it’s their fault’. If you are quick to assign blame and point fingers, then you are a classic bad boss.

As a good leader, you should encourage teamwork, and that means sharing all responsibility and credit together. Make a habit of giving public kudos to the team for their achievements and privately examine how your choices could have contributed when things go south.  

6. Nobody Ever Asks You for Feedback…Ever!

If I were a manager of a team and nobody came to me for feedback or career advice, I would be offended. It shows that I am neither approachable nor is my input valuable. The latter hurts more!

A good Boss encourages a culture of feedback on both sides. Therefore, ask for regular feedback from your team, even if it’s just on one. You can start with an anonymous survey and, more importantly, act on what they share with you.

7. You Take Things Personally.

Jane, when I ask for paid time off, please don’t take it personally. It has nothing to do with you, and I absolutely deserve it. After all, I work hard, and a good rest is well deserved. If you feel offended every time someone wants a day off, it’s time to pause and reconsider.

Paid time off is essential for a healthy work-life balance. It doesn’t mean the company will collapse. It means you need to plan ahead for gaps so that you are not scrambling when people take breaks.

If your team feels guilty about asking for time off, it’s a telltale sign of a toxic workplace and a bad boss. It shows they don’t feel supported and are afraid to jeopardise their jobs.

Final Thought.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you do all of the above, you are a bad boss. The good news, though, is that every boss has bad moments, but you don’t have to stay there. Leadership is a skill, and like all skills, it can be learned and improved. Awareness is the first point of becoming the boss you and your team deserve. Keep going, you’ve got this. ♥