Not everyone has what it takes to be a leader or a boss. There are a staggering number of ‘how to be a leader’ books out there that it’s a wonder how come there still are so many inefficient leaders in the country today. This is not at all surprising since only a handful Nigerians take the time to read any material they assume does not relate to them.
Common practice at the work place is for employees to ‘bad-mouth’ their bosses. Most of the time, this is totally deserved on the part of the employers. Of course none of these employees will come right up and say “you’re being a bad boss” for fear of getting on your bad side (being on your good side is bad enough) or losing their jobs.
If you’re an employer or a leader in any field and you want to know whether you’re being a bad boss; here are 5 signs that indicate you are indeed being a bad leader.
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You’re always busy and it’s not with work
Its working hours and you’ve been on the phone for over 45 minutes having a really loud conversation that is not work related, how do you think your employees will feel about that? In another instance, you’re entertaining a personal guest at work when your team has a deadline you’re 30 minutes shy of. These do not reflect well on you. It simply looks like you’re leaving the slaving to them while you cross your legs over your very huge (empty) table, relaxing.
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You’re ‘not-so-secretly’ sexist
At work you’re known for favoring a particular sex, this is bad. You think you’re being discreet but everyone knows about it. Sometimes it might not even be out of sexism. It might just be that you are hugely attracted to the opposite sex and love flirting. This could be misinterpreted so keep all your ‘flirting outside of work. If you really are being sexist, while at work swallow that ‘sexist pill’ and build working relations based on qualifications not sex.
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You never ask for the opinion of your workers
This is always a problem for egoistical leaders who believe that others are beneath them. They don’t expect the ‘lower class’ to be opinionated and as such never ask for a second opinion. You need to lose that know-it-all attitude and start getting others involved in what’s going on. That’s what team spirit is all about. You’re still a team regardless of who the leader is so engage all members.
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You take the ‘no sentiments’ rule a little too seriously
This is simply interpreted as being too strict and makes for a bad leader. Before you became a leader, you were once a follower and as such there are things you should understand better and turn a blind eye to. Like when someone is asking for some time off and you know they are lying about being sick. You don’t have to always be a ‘meanie’ and bluntly refuse. Admittedly, always turning a blind eye can be detrimental as so many people might start taking undue advantage of your kindness, but it is also nice to concede from time to time. Like my mum would say “always leave room for excuse”. People want a compassionate leader who is able to relate with their hardships.
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You don’t follow your own rules
Everyone particular hates that boss that says one thing and does another. “From tomorrow, everyone should be seated by 6am” he says and on the said ‘tomorrow’, he nonchalantly works in at 10am. While some will see as the bonus of being a leader, leadership by example still remains the best form of leadership.
now if you went through this list and you’re shocked over what makes a bad leader, that means you probably fall into one, some or all of these categories. It’s time for a change. Let’s turn the tide.
