Companies know that poor leaders exist, but not all companies are great at identifying weak or truly bad leaders. Leaders play a large role in businesses that thrive in the long run, so it’s essential that companies find leadership candidates that possess certain qualities and avoid the ones that lack critical know-how. Here are a few ways that you can spot a bad leader.
They Take Credit and Give Blame
The best leaders are quick to take responsibility when things go wrong, and they’re also quick to give praise to their team when the company is doing well. When employees feel blamed for things that they don’t feel in control of, they feel disheartened. Consequently, their motivation flags. The worst leaders fail to take responsibility when they make a mistake, and they take credit when things go well.
They Get Complacent
When the company is headed in the right direction, it’s easy to take the easy route, but this doesn’t always help the bottom line in the future. Most industries are highly competitive, and those that want to stay ahead of the curve need to be on the forefront of making the future. This means that business leader can’t assume that the same products and services will always hit the market. Leaders need to continually strive to reach higher with the goods that they produce. Poor leaders squander opportunity with laziness.
They Lack Communication Skills
Poor leaders lack the ability to communicate with others. This might be a lack of the ability to communicate with their subordinates, their peers at work, or business leaders of other companies. Truly effective leadership has the ability to communicate and inspire others through a wide range of mediums. Poor leaders are often misunderstood, leading their employees in the wrong direction. If a leader finds themselves constantly frustrated by employees who can’t follow direction, it’s possible that the leader has an inability to say what they want in a way that makes sense to employees. They might also be saying things in a way that, rather than inspiring confidence, actually inspires distrust, leading employees to wonder if the company is going in the right direction.
Unfortunately, many businesses are lacking the leadership needed to propel their companies forward. Spotting the truly bad leaders and removing them from their positions is sometimes the only way to move a company forward.