3 ways to know you are a bad leader.

Do you feel like your employees are resistant to direction? Do they complain they are micromanaged? When looking at the work, do they look overwhelmed, unsupported, and difficult to coach? Have you considered that perhaps you may not be such a good leader?

We humans are often quick to judge the person in charge and forget about the difficulties that come with being a leader. Worse yet, some people feel they are great leaders; quite frankly, they are the opposite. So here comes the question: How do you know if you are a lousy leader? Below, we’ll look at a few examples.

Title power – lack of respect

One of the most significant factors behind poor leaders is that they lack the respect they “should” deserve from their subordinates because they use title power, meaning you must listen to them. After all, I am your boss.

I remember I worked for someone who would pull that card every day left and right, and we all hated him. Quite simply, if you don’t give me respect, I will not return it. What this does is that it creates negative feelings, which eventually end up affecting the work site.

Good leaders are respected for their actions and not necessarily for their identity. They have what you call personal power. I’ve witnessed leaders criticized for who they are but highly respected for what they do.

If you find yourself using the title card, you are already off to a bad start, which could be a sign that you are a lousy leader.

No Direction – lack of vision

Another essential item in leadership is vision. When a leader sets something, a direction, a target, or a goal, the reasons behind such motives must be sound. Understand that being a leader in your organization does not mean you always have to create a vision(unless you are your boss), but there needs to be a pursuit of one. Usually, it is the company’s directive.

A good leader does his best to understand the vision and, above all, to live the vision. They work with their team to achieve this vision together.

You are lost if you don’t understand your vision for yourself or your organization. Not having an idea allows the team to work aimlessly; they give it their 50%, then go home and call it a day. Why? Because a lack of vision directly affects motivation.

It’s a big sign that you are a lousy leader.

No Motivation – Morale

This one is huge. Motivation in the workplace can make the difference between an okay performance and an excellent performance. A motivated workforce pushes and excels because they see the value in their work and who they are. As a leader, being able to motivate your team is a priority.

Have you ever visited a place where you can feel the negativity in the air? Where the employees look bored or, worse yet, miserable. That is a big red flag. As a leader, having an unmotivated workforce will seriously hurt your operation. Ask yourself, am I providing them with the right tools and resources to do the job? Am I providing relevant feedback? Do I coach them when I see an opportunity, or do I let it go? The most important one of all is you recognize your team for all they do. You have no idea how big a simple pat on the back can go for some people.

These are all critical questions to ask yourself. Understand that the best way to spot a bad leader is through the people he or she leads.

Quick Summary

I can assure you that if you do all these, you will start to get respected and create some personal power. They are more willing to follow your lead and work for you and your vision. Morale will improve, and you will start to improve your image from a bad leader to a good one.

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