Being in a leadership position doesn’t in any way make you a good leader. There are so many people who occupy leadership positions but keep displaying poor leadership traits, and that makes them terrible leaders.
If you are found in this category, then you might just be a terrible leader:
1. YOU EARN THE FEAR OF YOUR FOLLOWERS AND NOT THEIR RESPECT
A good leader earns the respect of the followers. Your followers will respect you based on what you’ve shown them, because respect is earned and not given. However, a terrible leader will not win the respect of the followers, but rather their fear.
2. EGO
Pride and good leadership can’t go hand in hand — one has to give way for the other. When you let your ego get the better of you, you’ll fail to learn from your mistakes and make the correct decisions.
3. YOU FAIL TO LEARN
Every leader who keep making same mistakes over and over is a terrible one. A good leader should be able to learn from mistakes.
Also, there’s wisdom in learning from your subordinates. Every good leader learns from their subordinates, because you can’t know it all, and the fact you’re the leader doesn’t necessarily mean you are better than them. Every leader who cant learn from other’s (even subordinates) is a terrible leader.
4. LACK OF EMPATHY
Empathy is an important part of leadership, but it’s one aspect terrible bosses fail to consider. Good leaders will put themselves in their follower’s shoes and try to understand their plight, while terrible leaders will always ride on their high horses.
5. YOU DON’T PAY ATTENTION
Paying attention to detail is an essential part of leadership. Paying attention and keeping focus is what’s expected of every leader, but when you aren’t attentive and focused, it only shows how terrible you are as a leader.
6. POOR COMMUNICATION
Communication is essential in every part of life, and it’s very essential in leadership. Being able to create a proper channel of communication between you and your subordinates is a sign of good leadership. A terrible leader fails to see the need to communicate with their followers, and when they do, they fail to map out proper communication techniques.
7. YOUR WORDS DON’T HAVE VALUE
As a leader, you ought to be held responsible to your words; say what you can do and do what you can say. Terrible leaders make empty promises, say things they can’t do, and that’s why they fail to win the respect of their followers.
8. YOU CAN’T BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
Any leader who’s afraid of responsibilities and can’t be held accountable for their actions is a terrible leader.
9. LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
A good leader creates a clear pathway that guides the team’s modus operandi. With this, the followers understand where they are headed to. But bad leaders don’t see the need for transparency.
10. YOU DISMISS THE IDEAS OF OTHERS
Every good leader understands that he/she can’t know it all; so they listen to the ideas of others, sieve them and take what’s needed for their goals to be achieved. Terrible leaders believe they know it all, and can’t condescend ‘so low’ to take the ideas of a subordinate.
11. YOU AREN’T TRUSTWORTHY
Every good leader earns the trust of their followers, but terrible leaders are untrustworthy because of their actions. They are dishonest, break promises and aren’t straightforward, hence losing the trust of their followers.
You can be in a leadership position and still lack the qualities of being a good leader.
Jake