01/31/2022

Bad Bosses: A Few Toxic Behaviors Can Ruin It All

Micromanaging can be a slippery slope

When we set out to interview 50 "bad bosses" for a book about what traits defined an ineffective or damaging leader, we started by asking our professional contacts about their worst boss experiences. Sometimes, we knew these “bad” bosses personally, so we reached out to interview them.

And instead of Miranda Priestly, we found Leslie Knope: amazing individuals with remarkable personal histories, passion for their work, thoughtful philosophies on leadership, and, seemingly, all the right answers. Somehow, though, these leaders had managed to undermine the confidence of their direct reports, who—usually after a couple of failed attempts to address their manager’s toxic behavior—suffered in silence. How could this be?

In these interviews, we heard all about the kind of leaders they aspire to be. The problem is, their teams had submitted them as “bad bosses” for behaviors they exhibited when they were under stress, frustrated, or feeling insecure. It turns out, stress turns us into different people and stokes our dysfunctional tendencies, which harm other people’s experiences with us.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.