Are you the leader of a team? You have a great responsibility ahead of you. A bad boss may exhibit a variety of negative behaviors and characteristics that adversely affect the morale, productivity, and cohesion of their team.
There are some attitudes that you should avoid if you do not want to create a conflictive, fragmented or poorly motivated work team. Take note.
10 things that NO must do a leader
1) Foster division among your employees
Your role as a boss is, in addition to directing, promoting cooperation and working together. So forget about excluding some members of your team. Everything, even the most “silly”, counts: if you are going out to eat, invite everyone; If you’re raffling something off as a team, consider everyone. It’s something basic, but extremely important!
2) Participate in gossip (or worse, generate it)
Getting involved in hallway rumors is one of the worst things you can do at work. If you are a team leader, much worse: all you do is encourage your employees to do the same, and create a tense work environment. Stay away from criticism and gossip and act like the leader you are.
3) Not recognizing the work of your team
It’s true, leaders are ultimately responsible for making things go well… But employees are the ones who make things happen. If your team delivered good results, acknowledge them and make sure others know about it. There is nothing more discouraging than a boss who takes all the credit.
4) Show preference for an employee
Maybe you really value the work of a dedicated employee, or there is another who makes you laugh out loud. Or maybe one of them is a good friend. However, there is a golden rule: in the office, everyone should be treated equally. The only thing you will achieve by showing your preference for someone will be to demotivate the rest of your employees.
5) Criticize the work of other bosses
Are the other bosses not doing their jobs well? Unless their performance directly affects your job, it’s not your place to shout it from the rooftops. This attitude denotes arrogance and lack of maturity. And shouldn’t the main qualities of every leader be humility and responsibility?
6) Don’t get involved in your team’s processes
Be careful: do not confuse “fully trusting the work of your team” with ignoring work processes. As a leader you must always be aware of everything that happens in your area. Directing from above, without knowing how things are done from below, is typical of a dictator, not an authentic leader.
7) Not motivating your employees to learn new things
A leader must always encourage his employees to grow in their profession, and this means teaching them new things… or, at least, not closing themselves off from learning. Many bosses believe that their employees “already know enough” and don’t even bother to incorporate new learning.
8) Close yourself to new ideas “because you already know what works”
Why learn to use new technologies if the typewriter works perfectly well? Being in charge of a team, it is your responsibility to be open to changes and incorporate them into your work processes.
9) Convey your negativity and apathy to the rest of the team
You do not agree with the decisions made “from above”, you believe that your bosses are inept, that no one does their job well and that, basically, everything is slowly collapsing. Don’t pass on this negative mentality to your employees if you don’t want them to be discouraged. What you should always convey to them is security, tranquility and trust.
10) Not working
Sounds familiar… right? There are many bosses who believe that they have “worked hard enough” to “get to where they are,” and that now the “hard work” falls to others. Big mistake! If you are one of those who limit yourself to giving orders and do not get your hands dirty working as your employees, your professional skills surely leave a lot to be desired. Plus, your employees will most likely silently curse you.
Editorial Team The editorial team of EMPRENDEDOR.com, which for more than 27 years has worked to promote entrepreneurship.