What makes a leader toxic? Leaders are the head of an organisation. They’re important individuals carrying the weight of responsibility more than other members of the team.
It’s a blessing to get good leaders, whether it’s in your work department or group projects. However, some are unfortunate to get a toxic boss.
Here are seven signs that can help you identify if your boss is toxic or vice versa, thanks to Psych2Go.
They don’t or won’t listen
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Picture: Youtube Psych2Go
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- If they’re dismissive or ridicule your opinions, they might be toxic.
- This is because the leader thinks only of themselves without considering the rest of the team.
- Hence, other members blindly oblige to the leader’s decisions, creating discomfort, powerlessness and weariness.
They’re never wrong
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Picture: Youtube Pysch2Go
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- Toxic leaders tend to have the mindset of ‘I’m always right‘.
- They’re closed-minded and not ready for changes or input given by others.
- They might gaslight you by saying, ‘it’s not my fault but yours‘.
- Leaders like them would lead the team to failure as they’re incapable of improvement.
It’s all about them and only them
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Picture: Youtube Psych2Go
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- Narcissistic leaders are dangerous because they see the world only through their perspectives.
- Team members might feel like a ‘toy’ as the leader only uses them for their benefit.
They control everything
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Picture: Youtube Psych2Go
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- Leaders like these are known as a micromanager.
- They will interfere in everything you’re doing without giving you a chance to try it first.
- Leaders like them don’t trust other people to handle projects as they believe their members can’t do a good job like them.
Too emotional
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Picture: Youtube Pysch2Go
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- Compassionate and empathetic leaders are great to have in a team. But if they’re too emotional, it affects the entire group.
- Leaders have to make rational decisions.
- Yet, if your leader is too emotional, their decisions might be driven by their heart. And this often leads to rashness, favouritism and unprofessionalism.
Abusing their power
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Picture: Youtube Pysch2Go
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- Leaders that exert their authority and dominance without mercy are toxic bosses.
- They don’t like to be challenged since it threatens their ego.
- Leaders like them demand compliance and not acceptance.
They don’t do anything
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Picture: Youtube Psych2Go
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- Delegating tasks is their favourite thing to do. However, they never do anything themselves.
- The leader only ‘leads’ the team by giving instructions and nothing else.
A toxic leader leads to downfalls in many companies or organisations anywhere. Therefore, it’s crucial to have or be a good leader for the team’s success.
Not only that, great leadership strengthens the bond between the boss and team members. Thus, this creates positive energy in the workplace.
Hence, be a good leader that everyone favours and not a bad leader that everyone despises. The change is in your hands!
Source: Youtube Psych2Go
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