“Raise you’re hand if you’ve ever worked for a horrible boss?”
Whenever we ask that question during our leadership workshops, nearly all the hands in the room go up. The stories that people share are cringeworthy. One participant recently shared that his boss would round up his young team each morning and say, “Which baby seal do I get to club today?”
Much of the focus of Giant Leap’s work is to develop leaders who are courageous, competent, confident, and compassionate. Why? Because we’ve seen the lasting damage that horrible leaders leave in their wake. When covering the topic of bad bosses, we share these 5 signs of a toxic leader. Use them to identify whether you might be working for a toxic leader…or if you might be one yourself!
1. Short Fuse
You have a short fuse when you don’t get your way or when others make mistakes.
Impatience and outbursts might feel like leadership in the moment, but they shut down initiative and learning. Over time, they cultivate a culture of fear.
2. Excessive “I” Talk
You use the word “I” way more than “we.”
Leaders who are caught in their own ego make everything about themselves. They take credit and deflect blame. The best leaders know success is a shared journey.
3. Easily Offended
You are easily offended, especially when you think your authority is being disrespected.
Leaders rooted in insecurity often mistake disagreement for disloyalty. But good leadership invites challenge. It doesn’t punish it.
4. Boss-Focused, Not People-Focused
You spend too much time with your bosses and not enough with your direct reports.
Hubris shows up in how leaders spend their time. Chasing approval from above while neglecting the needs of those below erodes trust and weakens team cohesion.
5. Feedback Averse
You rarely ask for feedback about your leadership and how it could be improved.
Toxic leaders are often the last to know how others perceive them because they never ask. Feedback isn’t a threat. It’s a tool for growth.
These five signs are rooted in a deeper issue: leadership hubris.
“Hubris is the single deadliest leadership contaminant, and the source of nearly every despicable act done by egomaniacal leaders throughout the ages.”
– The Leadership Killer: Reclaiming Humility in an Age of Arrogance
Hubris is more than just overconfidence. It’s dangerous overconfidence. And when left unchecked, it kills the very things leadership is meant to build: mission, morale, performance, loyalty, ethics, and legacy.
So ask yourself:
Do you want to be a leader or a ruler?
A ruler controls and intimidates. A ruler makes everything about themselves.
Leaders empower. A leader lifts others up. A leader builds something that lasts.
At the end of our “bad boss” workshop segment, we ask:
“How many of you would choose to work for that horrible boss again?”
In over two decades of asking, not one hand has ever gone up.
That’s a pretty clear message.
Whether you’re leading a team now or preparing for leadership down the road, keep your ego in check. Stay grounded and remember: the real power of leadership lies in humility, not hubris.
Want to learn more about how not to succumb to leadership pitfalls? Check out these related posts:
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
