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SEEMS TO ME...
Good boss, bad boss, good leader, bad leader: Which one are you
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eems to me, a good boss makes his or her employees realize they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could. Your greatest accomplishment as a boss/leader may not be something you do but someone you raise or develop — an employee. I don’t know that anyone really wants to be or makes it their life goal to be a “bad boss.” But sometimes I wonder because there are so many bad bosses and people in leadership positions in the work place. County elected officials are put in a leadership position by the electorate in your county. They elected you to be a servant to them and a boss over a particular office and element of county government. Don’t mess it up with bad boss behaviors and complexity. Bad boss behaviors lead to poor employee engagement and high turnover. When you have a boss/leader that treats you with respect and has your back, you are more likely to give your best and stay longer as an employee. But when you have a bad boss, you’re much more likely to be disengaged, suffer from anxiety and want to leave. All of us in leadership positions probably want to be a good leader — a good boss — but too many times we exhibit bad boss behaviors. Here are some of the worst bad boss behaviors — complete deal breakers: 1. Micromanaging — This is a killer of creativity and innovation in the workplace. It promotes an environment of distrust as employees feel suffocated and confined. If you hire someone for a job, give them room to get it done. President Teddy Roosevelt said, “The best executive (boss/leader) is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” 2. Taking the credit for employees’ work or successes — Bad bosses will do almost anything to look good, including taking credit for the employee’s work or ideas. Self-promotion is their top priority. It is demoralizing and demotivating to work hard to earn something only to have it unfairly taken away. Is that employee going to stay engaged? I doubt it. 3. Ignoring feedback; not listening — Some bosses don’t listen to employees or they only want positive feedback. They don’t admit mistakes. They take negative feedback personally and treat those poorly that give it. Onlooking employees learn not to say any14
thing. Employees know they are wasting their time and stop giving helpful feedback. Andy Stanley, a great leadership coach and orator, said, “Leaders who refuse to listen Eddie A. Jones will eventually be surrounded by County Consultant people who have nothing helpful to say.” 4. Not standing up for employees — Ever get thrown under the bus? Bad bosses throw employees under the bus. If someone makes a mistake they turn into judge, jury and executioner. They are quick to point fingers and it leaves employees feeling like they are on crumbling sand — a precarious situation. 5. Flying off the handle when things go wrong — Some bad bosses “lose their cool” when things don’t go like they want them to or think they should. These bosses/leaders have low emotional intelligence and employees know to stay away when they are upset. They insult employees or come off as disrespectful with the tone they use. They are the bosses that make employees cry. They rely on fear and intimidation. Employees have to walk on eggshells in the workplace and productivity is hindered. No one, and I mean absolutely no one, likes to be around this type of person, let alone work for one. 6. Displaying incompetence — These leaders view their position as one of entitlement rather than of responsibility. They fail to give clear direction or provide feedback. They may have reached this position based on “The Peter Principle,” which states the selection of a candidate for a position is based on the candidate’s performance in their current role, rather than on abilities relevant to the intended role. What does that mean? It means that bosses/leaders rise to the level of their incompetence. That can happen so easily in the role of elected county official. You are hired by the masses and most of them have no idea the intricacies of what they are electing/hiring you for. And you may have not known the depth of what you were asking for. To use another Andy Stanley quote that is apropos, “Authority does not equal competency. Pass decisions down to those who can best handle them.” A leader’s job is to facilitate a good working environment for the employees. Good bosses are comfortable and secure in who they are. Bad bosses are competing with their subCOUNTY LINES, FALL 2021
