People are leaving their dream jobs and it’s alarming. Employees aren’t sure where they want to go, but they certainly don’t want to be where they are right now. It’s probably more than just the salary. They may not love their jobs as much as before. This could be a sign that company leaders aren’t leading them properly.
Let’s look at the impact of bad bosses and how great leaders differ from them.
Resignations and Other Challenges
Terrible leadership can scare your best team members away. A top candidate can go to another company, and a bad leader can’t stop them.
How can a company run if it can’t retain its employees? Through a survey by GoodHire, 82 percent of American workers admitted they would potentially quit their occupation due to a bad boss.
Employees were also surveyed by ResumeLab and 47 percent of them said they wouldn’t stay with a bad boss for over two years. 15 percent said that they wouldn’t tolerate it and quit within a few months. This is proof that employees leave their bosses, not the company itself.¹
To know if a boss in your company isn’t a good one, you probably would notice these signs in some of your employees.
- Employees feel unsatisfied with their jobs: People under bad managers and supervisors may often feel unappreciated and disrespected. This can lead to them feeling down and demotivated.
- Employees are too stressed out: Some individuals may look like they’re always too tired and ready to go home at any minute. You may also notice a few that are literally crying in a corner due to overwhelming stress.
- Employees are burning out: Remember your top candidates? Where are they now? They’re probably still with you, but their productivity has gone down or they would rather not engage with the team anymore.
- Employees are frequently absent: Employees under bad bosses wouldn’t want to suffer any further. They would be taking a lot of their PTOs or would likely just not show up for work.²
Good vs. Bad Boss: What makes a good leader in the workplace?
Now that you know what the effects of an ineffective leader are on employees, let’s compare the good and the bad so that you can help mentor your business leaders.
1. Bad bosses micromanage. Great bosses let you take charge.
People can excel and learn better by having the freedom to take charge of their tasks. The excessive micromanagement of bad bosses can hinder this because the bosses will wear themselves too thin and the employees won’t get the chance to explore their creativity.
This can slow down a business because people won’t learn to be confident in making the right decisions. As a boss, challenge your team members to solve problems on their own. It’s best to just be there to guide them when they need you.³
Give them the space to make mistakes and learn from them. Perfection doesn’t lead to becoming better.
2. Bad bosses follow a one-size-fits-all method. Good leaders care about your specific learning needs.
Improve your leadership style by avoiding using the same method of leading each person. Bad bosses are quick to defend their leadership styles when corrected or given advice.
Employees have different ways of learning and successful leaders understand this. What work for Member A probably won’t work for Member B.
For example, one of your groupmates may be the type to listen and absorb instructions clearly, but another might need to take notes for them to study. Another may be a visual learner who needs images and presentations to better understand their responsibilities.⁴
Your members will also learn at different paces and you should have an abundance of patience to share. Being a slow learner isn’t necessarily bad. It could just mean that their learning needs aren’t being met.
3. Bad bosses don’t lead by example. Good bosses are role models.
Bad bosses are the worst at doing. They aren’t willing to show you how things are done right and want only you to have your hands dirty. They most likely don’t even understand the company’s products and services.
On the other hand, great leaders are always ready to get into action first. They are always ready to help out their team and others. This way they can see problems closely and explain and demonstrate the solutions.
4. Bad bosses are judgmental. Outstanding bosses are empathetic.
Challenges in the office are inevitable. To make things run smoothly, even when things go wrong, be empathetic. A bad leader will judge subordinates quickly without knowing what really led to certain mistakes at work. They prioritize telling people what went wrong instead of offering support.
A good leader will listen to them carefully and give sound advice. Having genuine empathy is proof that a leader cares about their team and that they will be willing to invest in each of their skills in the long run.
5. Bad bosses don’t listen to their employees. Awesome bosses respect what their employees say.
Effective leadership is rooted in learning and active listening, but bad bosses don’t understand this. They always crave for respect and to be listened to, but they wouldn’t return the same to their subordinates.
Employees want to know that their words and deeds are being valued by their bosses. Show them how important their work is for the company by telling them what exactly you appreciate about them. Tell them if you think they are great at presenting to clients. Thank them if they helped you deal with an irate customer.
Your words will matter to them if you treat them well. You will see that they will be willing to listen to you more and see you as a good example.
Another way you can show them appreciation is by asking them for their suggestions. People solve problems uniquely. They might have the answer you need for certain projects.
Learn from the Strength of Others to be Effective
Being a leader isn’t an endgame. It’s just another higher level to your career where you have to learn more and work more while guiding others.
Don’t prioritize competition within the team. Prioritize comradeship.
To be an exceptional leader, you have to see the strengths of your teammates with a positive attitude. Don’t see them as your competition or a ladder you can just use to climb higher. Relationship building is the way to understanding how you can work better as a team.
Learn from Each Other by Highlighting Unique Strengths
One essential leadership skill is creating harmony within the group. You build trust by assigning them projects they can take charge of. Identify the areas they excel in and ask them to teach you how they do things. Share your strengths with them through mentorship. Encourage key leadership qualities in them through partnerships and co-mentoring each other.
Put Your Soft Skills First and Your Technical Skills Second
Good leadership starts with good emotional intelligence. Start putting your soft skills forward followed by your technical expertise. At the end of the day, your skill sets may be the same as that of another leader. Let your empathy and compassion outshine your leadership skills to become a better boss.
THE DAVIS COMPANIES CAN HELP ADVANCE YOUR TEAM
With DAVIS Companies, you can find new teammates who will want to grow with you. We will help you excel in your operations by providing you with our staffing services and outsourced talent solutions including Human Resource Outsourcing (HRO), Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and Managed Services Program (MSP).
Talk to us to see how we can help you more.
References
1 Schooley, Skye. “Wake-Up Call: How You’re Driving Employees Away.” Business, 24 Mar. 2023, www.business.com/hr/driving-employees-away/.
2 Davis, P. (2015, June 4). The Impact of Poor Leadership on Burnout & Job Satisfaction. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/pressure-proof/201506/the-impact-of-poor-leadership-on-burnout-job-satisfaction
3 “12 Traits Bad Bosses Have In Common.” Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/09/25/12-traits-bad-bosses-have-in-common/?sh=7fb119b46266. Accessed 21 Apr. 2023.
4 Bay Atlantic University, https://bau.edu/blog/types-of-learning-styles. Accessed 21 Apr. 2023.
