This text initially appeared on Enterprise Insider.
I’ve seen greater than a number of dangerous managers in my over 40 years of enterprise, management, and consulting — together with because the vice chairman of HR at Microsoft. Listed below are 4 traits I’ve seen in nearly each one among them.
1. Self-centered
The commonest trait I’ve seen in dangerous managers is a relentless give attention to themselves. All the things is all about them. Whether or not it is pushed by ego or panic, dangerous managers are at all times apprehensive about how they seem to others.
Unhealthy managers stress about how they give the impression of being to their boss: Do I look sturdy or weak? Do they assume I am an fool? How do my friends see me? What about these above my boss?
Unhealthy managers fret about what their workforce thinks of them. They need desperately to be seemed as much as. They will need to have all of the solutions. Quite than give attention to points, it is all about appearances. They wish to seem sturdy, unflappable, even invincible to their workforce.
A number of managers do that out of ego. They should be the focus, the main focus of their world. They need every part of their workforce to be for his or her profit. Maybe to boost their profession. Extra usually to stoke their ego.
However the egotists are the exception, not the rule. Extra widespread are the worriers. The nervous managers cowering below the burden of their very own imposter syndrome. You may inform them from the egotists by their tentative strategy to issues. Afraid of being uncovered, they placed on the bravest of faces. Nevertheless it’s only a masks. Apprehensive what others should consider them. Not realizing how hardly ever others ever do.
Failing to see that it is the outcomes that rely, they fear about picture. Their picture. So, they attempt to management each side of their presentation to others.
As a substitute of working with their workforce to create the outcomes that will get them discover, they make all of it about themselves.
2. Enter-focused
Most dangerous managers are inordinately centered on the inputs to their processes, not the output outcomes of the workforce.
They stress about staff who’re two minutes late or too usually within the restroom. They observe their staff’ each transfer, their each keystroke. They fear about hours enter, not outcomes output.
Their obsession with picture spills out right here as effectively. They stress about skilled look, not skilled outcomes. They need everybody to at all times at the least look busy. There is no larger crime than a cheerful worker having fun with their time with their co-workers. It is all enterprise, on a regular basis.
These managers relentlessly observe every part, all of the improper issues. They observe time spent with the shopper, not whether or not the shopper was glad. They observe keystrokes per minute, not issues resolved. They monitor staff as in the event that they have been robots, in search of the slightest variation from their superb automaton.
These managers lose sight of the forest for the bushes. As a substitute of being obsessive about outcomes, gross sales, and joyful clients, they’re centered on the inputs — the inputs that really feel simpler to manage.
3. Afraid of failure
A spin off from the obsession with picture, these dangerous managers are deeply afraid of failure. Notably any look of failure that may mirror poorly on them.
Quite than embracing the odd failure because the inevitable consequence of a workforce that is pushing the boundaries, these managers are obsessive about perfection. As a substitute of trying to find causes, they hunt for somebody in charge. Quite than discovering an opportunity for all to study, they see a purpose to be embarrassed.
Outwardly, they bury any proof of a misstep, hoping it by no means sees the sunshine of day. Apprehensive it would mirror badly on their document, they discover excuses or culprits. Wherever else to solid the destructive gentle.
Consequently, the workforce turns into skilled to additionally bury any proof of failure.
Outcomes are even falsified to forestall disclosure of any end result that falls in need of perfection. Identical to their supervisor, they develop averse to failure. The higher to keep away from the cruel penalties of discovery.
The workforce turns into tentative, cautious in each step. No dangers are taken, and no boundaries are even approached, lest the end result be the smallest failing. Secure and cautious to the purpose of being timid, the workforce underperforms. Solely to earn the additional ire of the perfectionist in chief.
Quite than push the workforce the dangerous supervisor performs every part protected. Quite than study from, even embrace, failure, they lash out and bury it.
4. Info hoarder
All of this results in a supervisor who treats info as a treasured commodity to be hoarded — reasonably than a present to be shared.
The dangerous supervisor controls the narrative each into and out of the workforce. They preserve strict management over communication outdoors the workforce. They monitor electronic mail and conferences, insisting on being copied or included. They meticulously evaluation and edit each scrap of data that may discover its technique to the higher-ups.
Afraid of upsetting the workforce, the dangerous supervisor hides dangerous information they study from above or round them. They painting it as heroically shielding the workforce from the noise. In actuality, they’re suspending the inevitable discovery by means of different sources. With out management of the information, the supervisor solely seems worse, their best worry.
The supervisor and the workforce quickly discover themselves mendacity to one another. And to everybody outdoors. “All the things’s nice right here; no want to fret about us.” Even because the fires of doom burn ever nearer.
Groups run by dangerous managers usually resemble cults on this method. They develop into remoted islands lower off from the remainder of the group. “I can not inform you, that is must know” or “you would not perceive” are widespread refrains.
These groups hardly ever outperform, however you’d by no means know that from the restricted accessible info — info hoarded jealously by their dangerous supervisor.
Managers like this are well-known — for the improper causes
With this array of widespread traits, dangerous managers usually develop into well-known inside the group. However not in the best way they’d hope. They’re seemed on with disdain, even pity, from the skin. Good staff warn their friends to keep away from them. Refugees from the workforce inform tales far and huge. Many merely stop to flee the ache.
If you end up on their workforce, one of the best strategy is to discover a method out. They may probably outlast you, and put on you down.
Which highlights their most troublesome trait, the dangerous supervisor endures.
They even ramp up their ways. Their fastidiously masked picture of success hides them from penalties. The group suffers, usually rewarding the conduct that makes them such dangerous managers within the first place. Like cockroaches ultimately instances, dangerous managers discover a technique to endure.
Chris Williams is a former vice chairman of HR at Microsoft and a management advisor, podcaster, TikTok creator, and writer.
