Having been blessed by a parade of terrific bosses, I know how vital a supportive manager is to your overall employee experience and development. These bosses hung a sign around my neck that said I was important. Everyone deserves a boss who makes their people feel that way. If you find yourself with a boss who demonstrates these bad boss traits, fire them and find a boss who makes you feel important and that you matter.
We’ve all worked for a bad boss, some of us more than others. Bad bosses are a particular problem for good, loyal, dedicated, and committed employees. These high-potential employees want to help the organization make progress, fulfill the vision, and live the values. Bad bosses work against the best interest of the organization and the employees. They especially dislike high-potential employees because they see them as a threat. Bosses who demonstrate these traits don’t care about you, and they certainly don’t value you.
Bad bosses are all about themself.
Leading the pack of bad bosses is the narcissistic boss. They only care about themself and achieving outcomes that directly benefit them. Their need for personal reward and advancement consume them. As a result, they have little concern for you and your needs. They will quickly cut that “make me feel important” sign from your neck.
Asleep at the wheel.
A bad boss who neglects or refuses to act on issues is asleep at the wheel. More commonly known as laissez-faire leadership, are leaders who don’t lead. They only get involved when there is a problem and even then only to find blame. An absent boss won’t notice you or the work you produce. Consequently, they won’t see that sign around your neck that says, “make me feel important.”
Bad bosses rely on the wrong people.
Bad bosses multiply because they surround themselves with minions. They seek out false flattery and reward those who bring them toxic gossip. Even more, because these bad bosses surround themselves with incompetence, the bad boss effect spreads. If you point out issues or voice possible challenges, this bad boss will cut the “make me feel important” sign from your neck.
All style no substance.
Unfortunately, many people rise to leadership positions because they look good. These hood ornaments say the right things, smile at the right people, or are sycophants. They paint a picture of transformation, lofty goals, plans, and initiatives. As time goes by, it becomes apparent they are all talk, and they don’t know what they are doing. These types of bad bosses ignore the “make me feel important” sign around your neck because they don’t know how to do it.
Bad bosses point fingers to place blame.
They refuse to own up and take responsibility when things go wrong. A boss who fails to take responsibility misses a critical aspect of leadership. They forget that they are ultimately responsible for the mistakes of the team. It can be especially frustrating when they are the cause of the failure. Finger-pointing bosses don’t care about you, which makes it easy for them to blame you for their shortcomings. As a result, they will replace your “make me feel important” sign with one that reads, “it’s all my fault.”
Constructive feedback never comes.
You have no idea if you are doing things right, wrong, or have any chance of progression. When you ask for feedback, they put you off, or say ‘keep doing what you’re doing.’ They aren’t interested in developing you as an employee, and that makes them a bad boss because you aren’t important enough for them to do so. They aren’t interested in providing feedback that will help you grow and feel confident. Therefore, they ignore your “make me feel important” sign hanging around your neck.
Mary Kay Ash coined the phrase, “Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, ‘make me feel important.’ Never forget this message when working with people.” You deserve a boss who makes you feel important. Having a boss who honors your contribution, which builds your confidence, and more importantly, who helps develop your career. Otherwise, you have to do it yourself.
Last updated on July 19th, 2020 at 09:59 am
