How to know if you’re a bad leader

Being a leader can be a difficult and exhausting job at times, but anyone who is doing it right will tell you that it is all worth it. So are you a good leader? Well if you ask your staff or those around you and they say yes, you might be. Or you might not be a good enough leader for them to feel comfortable sharing the truth with you. Here are some of the biggest tells of a bad leader for you to compare to your own style.

Having to be right

All good leaders leave their ego at the door because the willingness to be wrong exponentially improves culture. Think about it this way. If you already know all the answers then you are shutting everyone else out instead of inviting their engagement. If you are constantly trying to prove your superiority over others, you’re a leader who is missing out.

Refusing to delegate

In some circles, doing all of the work yourself is admirable. This can be a noble effort to avoid giving too much work to others, but think further into that. You have others around you to handle this work, and by taking it all on yourself you are neglecting something else. Not to mention, you may be sending a message about how much you trust others to get tasks completed.

Desire for the spotlight

Let me clarify something. There is nothing wrong with getting recognition for something you’ve accomplished. In fact, it can be a great motivator. However, when you desire recognition to the point where you are taking it away from others or not properly sharing it around, you’re doing a disservice to all those around you.

Not making your expectations clear

No one can read your mind. If you ask an employee for something and receive the finished product only to be disappointed that it’s not like you imagined it would turn out, you might be to blame. You know what you want and if you don’t share, don’t be surprised when what is delivered doesn’t meet those unspoken standards. Not to mention how detrimental having to redo a task can be to that employee’s motivation.

The need to fix everyone

Empathy can destroy a workplace. Don’t get me wrong, being a sensitive leader is not a bad thing, to a certain extent. If you find yourself constantly people pleasing and avoiding difficult conversations, then you might be a bad leader. Stop taking on other people’s emotional problems and try to pick out when you are being inauthentic with your responses just to keep others happy. Not being who you need to be because you are walking on egg shells can lead to poor performance across the board.