A leader is bad when they do not put the needs of their followers first. This could manifest itself in a number of ways, such as making decisions without consultation or favoring certain people or groups over others. Bad leaders can also be dictatorial, bullying, and self-centered. Ultimately, the goal of good leadership should be to empower followers to reach their full potential and help the organization achieve its objectives. By contrast, bad leadership can lead to disharmony, infighting, and lowered productivity. Some of the key causes of bad leadership are gossiping, insincerity, commanding and controlling, and little or lack of employee empowerment by leaders. Consequently, these causes have effects on employees’ morale, productivity, trust, and respect. Leaders should engage employees in open communication and every issue as well as empower employees to perform better and attain good leadership.
There are a few key things to understand about how commanding and controlling behavior leads to bad outcomes. First, when a leader is overly commanding and controlling, it sends a clear signal to their team that they are not trusted (DynamicLead 00:01:09). This can lead employees to feel demoralized and disengaged, which in turn decreases their productivity and creativity. Second, when leaders are too controlling, they often end up micromanaging their team. This can be extremely frustrating for employees, as it robs them of the opportunity to take ownership of their work and makes them feel like they are not being treated as adults. Micromanagement also reduces employee efficiency, as employees will spend more time trying to impress their boss than working on tasks themselves.
Moreover, when a leader is too controlling and demanding, it creates an environment of fear and tension. This type of atmosphere does not foster productivity or creativity. Employees are less likely to take risks or offer new ideas when they feel that their leader is constantly watching and waiting for them to make a mistake (Goleman 105). In addition, a leader who is excessively demanding often creates an “us vs. them” mentality within the team. Employees start to see themselves as expendable resources rather than valuable members of the team. This can lead to decreased efficiency as employees work less cooperatively towards common goals.
Similarly, a lack of knowledge or understanding can often lead to bad leadership decisions. For example, a manager might make decisions based on personal biases or assumptions instead of facts, leading to ineffective or harmful outcomes (DynamicLead 00:01:49). Additionally, a lack of knowledge can equally lead to indecision and stagnation, as leaders are unable to make informed choices or come to a consensus. Poor communication and ignorance of company policies are common issues stemming from a lack of knowledge. Ultimately, these negative consequences can trickle down and impact an entire organization’s performance. It is important for leaders to be constantly learning and growing in their roles; without this level of continuous development, it can be easy for them to fall into the trap of making uninformed decisions.
Furthermore, it can be said that when a leader does not empower their employees, it shows in the lack of communication and trust within the workplace. This leads to lower job satisfaction and motivation levels, as well as an overall feeling of instability within the company. When leaders do not empower their employees, they are essentially sending the message that they are not capable of handling vital tasks and responsibilities (DynamicLead 00:02:09). This can result in a loss of confidence on the part of employees and may cause them to feel resentment towards their leaders. In addition, a lack of empowerment often leads to a higher level of micromanagement on the part of leaders, which can further reduce employee morale.
When employees do not feel empowered, it can have a significant impact on their morale and motivation. For example, if an employee feels they are being micro-managed or that their ideas are constantly being shot down, it will likely lead to a lack of enthusiasm and lower productivity (Möhlmann and Lior 14). Additionally, when employees do not feel empowered, they may be less likely to take ownership of their work or be proactive in trying to improve things. This can create an atmosphere of mistrust and hinder communication within the team. Ultimately, this can lead to a decline in overall morale and motivation.
Likewise, the empowering of the employees has more to do with the training through appraisal systems. Employee appraisal systems are important for a number of reasons, one of which is that they aid in fostering creativity and innovation within an organization. By providing employees with feedback (both positive and negative), organizations can help to create an environment where employees feel comfortable taking risks and experimenting with new ideas (Bos-Nehles and Andre 2676). Without an employee appraisal system in place, it can be difficult for organizations to identify which employees are performing well and which ones need improvement. This can eventually lead to stagnation within an organization, as the best and brightest employees may not be rewarded or recognized for their efforts. On the other hand, poorly performing employees may not be given the opportunity to improve their skills, and as a result, both creativity and innovation suffer.
Furthermore, when leaders are insincere, it breeds distrust and a lack of respect from their followers. This can lead to a number of bad outcomes, such as a decrease in productivity, innovation, and creativity and an increase in unethical behavior (DynamicLead 00:03:06). For example, when people feel that their leader is insincere, they are less likely to take the initiative. Similarly, they are more likely to focus on their own self-interests rather than the interests of the team or organization. In addition, employees who feel that their leader is insincere are more likely to engage in unethical behavior (Ren et al. 967). This is because they no longer see the leader as someone they can trust or look up to and instead view them as someone who wants to use them wrongly.
Additionally, gossiping among leaders can cause bad leadership in a setup. Leaders are often in positions of power and trust, and when they gossip about others, it can have a negative impact on the organization (DynamicLead 00:03:37). Gossiping can cause division among employees and create a hostile work environment. In addition, gossiping can damage the leader’s reputation and ability to lead effectively. Leaders should avoid gossiping at all costs, as it can have a serious negative impact on the organization.
In conclusion, there are a few key reasons why bad leadership can have such negative effects on an organization. First, a leader who is overly commanding can make employees feel less effective and lack workplace autonomy. Secondly, a leader who is not well-informed about their organization and its operations will be less effective in making decisions that impact the company. Thirdly, gossiping among leaders can breed distrust and disrupt teamwork. Finally, if employees do not feel empowered to make decisions and contribute to the success of the company, it will be difficult for the organization to grow and thrive.
Works Cited
Bos-Nehles, Anna C., and Andre AR Veenendaal. “Perceptions of HR Practices and Innovative Work Behavior: The Moderating Effect of an Innovative Climate.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2019. Web.
DynamicLead. YouTube, YouTube, 2011, Web.
Goleman, Daniel. Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence. More than Sound LLC, 2021. Web.
Möhlmann, Marieke, and Lior Zalmanson. “Hands on the wheel: Navigating algorithmic management and Uber drivers’.” Autonomy’, in Proceedings of the International Conference On Information Systems (ICIS), Seoul South Korea, 2017. Web.
Ren, Shuang, Guiyao Tang, and Susan E. Jackson. “Effects of Green HRM and CEO Ethical Leadership On Organizations’ Environmental Performance.” International Journal of Manpower, 2020. Web.