{"id":16250,"date":"2023-07-26T11:56:52","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T10:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/?p=16250"},"modified":"2023-07-31T14:37:42","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T13:37:42","slug":"8-signs-your-boss-is-a-toxic-leader-and-what-you-can-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/8-signs-your-boss-is-a-toxic-leader-and-what-you-can-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Signs Your Boss is a Toxic Leader\u2014And What You Can Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no such thing as a perfect leader: even the best manager you\u2019ve ever had will have things they\u2019re striving to improve on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a big difference, though, between a leader with room for improvement and one who\u2019s truly toxic. Here are eight signs of a toxic boss that you should look out for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Demoralising and belittling<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good boss encourages and praises. A toxic boss demoralises and belittles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a toxic boss, negativity is the norm &#8211; not just in terms of feedback, but also in the way they communicate with their team in general. As a result, you may feel belittled and that your efforts in the workplace are not appreciated. You could feel scared to speak up as a result, and so this pattern will continue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>For more career advice, <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/\"><b><i>take a look at our latest blog posts<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Micromanaging<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrreview.co.uk\/hr-news\/strategy-news\/are-you-leading-or-micromanaging\/151919\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a recent survey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 71% of employees stated that micromanagement has hindered their job performance. 69% said that they had considered leaving a role because of a micromanaging boss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Signs that your boss is micromanaging you include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Needing every tiny detail of what you do to be signed off<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being required to give constant updates on your work\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having your timesheet watched too closely<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being given overcomplicated instructions because of their obsession with details<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being pulled up on the tiniest of mistakes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding that tasks are not delegated to you or other team members as the manager wants complete control.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many micromanagers believe that their approach is a sign of strong leadership. In fact, the opposite is true. If you\u2019re being micromanaged, you may lose confidence in your abilities and have your creativity stifled &#8211; and over time, your increasing stress levels may have you searching for a new role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Punitive approach<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everybody makes mistakes at work &#8211; we\u2019re only human, after all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, major mistakes that require disciplinary action should be dealt with accordingly. A punitive approach to minor mistakes, though, could be another sign of toxicity in a manager.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A boss who takes a punitive approach may be doing so to try and exert more control over their direct reports &#8211; or may believe that the threat of punishment will prevent their team from doing things that make them look bad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good manager will avoid the punitive approach, instead supporting their direct reports to fix the mistake they\u2019ve made and learn from it going forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>If a toxic boss has you considering a change of roles, take a look at our latest <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/jobs\/\"><b><i>opportunities<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>.\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Showing favouritism<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s nothing wrong with healthy competition in the workplace. It\u2019s also not uncommon for bosses to favour their top performers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a fine line, though, between favouring top performers, and favouring individuals who are either friends with the manager or who simply pander to them. When this happens, the manager ends up with a protective ring of people around them who keep them in power, and it can also cause friction within the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Disruptive behaviour<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a team to succeed in its goals, its members need to work together. If a boss is chaotic, inconsistent and disruptive, reaching goals becomes much more of a challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This disruptive behaviour can show itself in various ways. They might be emotionally unpredictable, or they could break promises. They might regularly contradict themselves, or ask for similar tasks to be done in very different ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good boss works with their team. A toxic boss\u2019 disruptive behaviour works against it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Setting unreasonable expectations<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any good boss will want to get the most out of their direct reports, encouraging them to be as productive as possible, and to complete work to the highest possible standard. But are the expectations that your boss is setting actually reasonable?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A toxic boss may:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set impossible deadlines<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Require work to be completed to an impossibly high standard<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask you to work overtime or weekends on a regular basis<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give extreme workloads<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s an approach that\u2019s more likely to reduce productivity than improve it, leading to high levels of stress and burnout &#8211; and, most likely, high employee turnover.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Want to take your career to the next level? <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/\"><b><i>We have plenty of advice on our blog<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Lack of accountability<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toxic bosses believe that they\u2019re infallible because of their position of power. They also absolve themselves of all accountability in whatever ways they can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll rarely find that they admit when they\u2019ve made a mistake, or take responsibility for something that\u2019s gone wrong. Instead, they\u2019ll make excuses, ignore the issue entirely, or blame someone else. They\u2019ll also shift workloads to those beneath them to absolve themselves of the responsibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, they\u2019ll still expect accountability from their team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This \u201cdo as I say, not as I do\u201d mentality not only shows that these bosses don\u2019t value the wellbeing of their employees, it also sets a standard for employees who move up into management roles down the line.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8. Not supporting your development\/progression<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes it\u2019s clear when a toxic boss isn\u2019t supporting your development and progression. They fail to ask you about your career goals and don\u2019t challenge you to learn new things. They never give constructive feedback, and offer no career coaching or training opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, they\u2019ll hinder your development in ways you don\u2019t see. They\u2019ll exclude you from important meetings or choose others over you to work on high-profile projects. They\u2019ll fail to put you forward for a pay rise or promotion, instead of advocating for these things to happen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, you\u2019ll find yourself stuck in a rut\u2026unless things change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what\u2019s the best way to make change actually happen?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What can you do about it?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve identified that your boss is toxic, there are a few different approaches you can take.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first is to <\/span><b>give them feedback<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It may be that they\u2019re actually unaware of how their behaviour is affecting you and the wider team. If this is the case, polite, professional feedback may be appreciated: they\u2019ll see it as help to become the best manager they can be. However, if they respond to your feedback in an uncaring or cruel way &#8211; or they don\u2019t acknowledge it at all &#8211; you\u2019ll need to try a different approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If speaking with your boss directly doesn\u2019t work, try <\/span><b>asking for help elsewhere<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Depending on the wider workplace environment, this could be your boss\u2019 boss, the HR team or a mentor from elsewhere in the business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if the toxicity is more widespread and reaches right up the management chain, you may need to ask for help outside of the company &#8211; perhaps from an organisation like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acas.org.uk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACAS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another option to share the burden is to <\/span><b>find a mentor<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This maybe someone from within your organisation, or someone from an external professional support network.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By finding a mentor within your company, you\u2019ll have someone else on your side to praise you, get your name known by senior management and vouch for your good work. With both internal and external mentors, you\u2019ll also open up further potential opportunities that will help you to develop (or find a new role) down the line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there\u2019s no salvaging the situation &#8211; and if it\u2019s affecting your mental and physical health as well as your work &#8211; then don\u2019t be afraid to <\/span><b>look for a new role<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Whether this is inside your existing organisation or somewhere else entirely, joining a new team could result in a career that makes you happy, that challenges you and that has real opportunities for progression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Toxic boss holding you back? <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/jobs\/\"><b><i>We may have the perfect role to get your career progression back on track<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>. For more career advice, <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/\"><b><i>check out our blog<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s no such thing as a perfect leader: even the best manager you\u2019ve ever had will have things they\u2019re striving to improve on.\u00a0 There\u2019s a big difference, though, between a leader with room for improvement and one who\u2019s truly toxic. Here are eight signs of a toxic boss that you should look out for.\u00a0 &nbsp;&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/news\/8-signs-your-boss-is-a-toxic-leader-and-what-you-can-do-about-it\/\" class=\"\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">8 Signs Your Boss is a Toxic Leader\u2014And What You Can Do About It<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":16255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16250"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16254,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16250\/revisions\/16254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/16255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}