There is a very common problem with one’s professional life that happens to many employees in terms of the amount of discomfort, fear, and uncertainty it evokes, and it ends up going like this:
“I absolutely cannot stand being around my boss for even one more minute. Because of how terrible he (or she) is to me and the rest of our team, I’m seriously contemplating quitting my job the moment I get back to the office. His actions cause me to lose sleep, and the level of stress they cause is so high that I am starting to experience physical symptoms as a result of them. I often daydream about quitting my job and moving on with my life without looking for another one. But if I were to quit this job, I have no idea how I would support myself financially.”
Regrettably, there are tens of thousands of truly awful bosses who do not have the business leadership or management skills or having any impact at all. These individuals should not have any responsibility for these roles. However, their companies are not well-informed or worried enough about the condition of their HR department to acknowledge or address the harm that these people are causing to both individuals and the system as a whole.
A recent survey found that 49% of employees leave their jobs because of a horrible boss, and another study found that 82% of participants do not trust their manager to speak the truth. Both of these findings were published in the same journal.
These five characteristics, which can be found in both male and female terrible bosses, are the ones that cause the most damage and create the most problems, in my experience.
Exhibits Extreme Narcissism
These people are abusive and cruel to one or more people whom they point out or of who they have authority over, and they simply are unable and will not take accountability for their actions.
Takes Credit for All of Your Work
These managers take all of the praise and credit for your excellent work, which prevents you from progressing and rising in the company. They inhibit you from being able to stand out publicly or develop your reputation as a leading contributor, and they inhibit you from presenting your work in front of top management.
Ignores or Actively Stifles Your New Ideas
They either have a low opinion of your intellectual capacity or feel threatened by you and the contributions you make. They are insecure and afraid of you, or they believe they know everything, therefore you should merely shut up and comply with what they say.
When Things Don’t Go as Planned, It All Falls Apart
These toxic bosses frequently lose their composure when issues arise, and they vent their rage whenever new developments have the potential to make them look incompetent. This, in turn, causes PTSD stress experiences for many employees, who become paralyzed with fear at the thought of doing anything that might set off another instance of this kind of explosive behavior.
Throws You Underneath the Bus
lastly, the worst kind of boss is the one who doesn’t have your back and looks for every chance to point the finger, back-stab, and place blame on you when their own organizational objectives aren’t met. When this happens, you get thrown under the bus. They are always trying to avoid embarrassment and make a good impression on their superiors, so they place the blame for less-than-stellar performance on members of their personal teams or those of other managers. Your boss may not have the slightest idea how to behave as a real leader or how to cope effectively with business issues that they are responsible for resolving. They don’t even know where to begin.
If you are dealing with a manager who exhibits any of these characteristics or is harmful in other ways, it is time to take action and you should not wait any longer before doing so. The steps that are outlined below will assist you in taking an objective look at your circumstances and formulating a strategy for the next part of your story. It is time for you to come to the realization that remaining subservient to a bad leader will be detrimental to your career and will prevent you from accomplishing the level of success and recognition that you deserve and are deserving of.
What should you do if you’re dealing with a terrible manager who is damaging you, your reputation, and your future? Here are some suggestions:
Conduct an Analysis of the “Ecosystem in Operation” and Determine Whether or Not This Predicament Can Be Improved
When you’re working for a toxic boss, there are times when you do have options for getting out from under their influence. One of those options is to schedule a meeting with HR and explain your situation there, providing them with the pertinent facts, statistics, and proof.
Human resources is able to effectively act as an advocate in a number of situations, and they will hear your side of the story and actually take action to address the issue. You can speak to your mentor at work (if you have one) for their suggestions about how you can get out from under this individual if HR isn’t a safe option for you. You can also seek legal advice for an outside viewpoint.
However, the actions you take at work to stop unfair treatment or to detach yourself from a manager who is harmful to you are unlikely to be successful in the vast majority of cases. This is due to the fact that the organization itself retains these managers in their positions.
They didn’t get there on their own; bad managers are still in power because the system allows it (and frequently rewards them for it). You will need to conduct an in-depth analysis of the environment in which you find yourself and be honest with yourself about the likelihood of bringing about a transformation that will enable you to thrive. Investigating the situation in senior management’s various other departments and the organization as a whole is a straightforward method for achieving this goal.
Ask yourself, “Am I surrounded by other encouraging, positive leaders who are different from this awful boss, or is the entire place plagued with managers who can’t govern successfully or in a healthy manner?” If the answer to either question is “yes,” then you should consider yourself lucky.
Put Yourself Out There, or on the “Market,” Build a Customer Base and Interview Extensively as Soon as Possible
People have a tendency to do the reverse of what they ought to be doing in situations in which they feel backed into a corner, which is assertively introducing themselves to market. This is something that often happens when they are working for a terrible boss.
By this, we mean participating in interviewing, making connections on LinkedIn and beyond, meeting loads of new people in their industry who are inspiring, going to industry meetings, taking old colleagues out for coffee and lunch to discuss new possibilities, and so on. Take charge of your professional path and establish a community of allies who can offer assistance.
It is also time for you to discuss what you want the next chapter of your life to look like and to investigate the fantastic job opportunities available at other companies. People frequently wait for far too long before beginning to interview elsewhere or before beginning to tell all of their colleagues and friends precisely what they are interested in as an exciting new role. This causes them to miss out on potential opportunities.
Create a Draft of the Perfect Position Description, Speak About It, and Picture Yourself Performing the Duties of That Job Every Day
Among the most eye-opening activities that is asked from individuals is to compose a thorough description of the position or role that they consider to be the best possible example of that particular type of work. Many people have trouble with this since they are aware of the things that they do not want, but they are unable to articulate the things that they do want. It is very important and beneficial to do this activity because it finally puts you in control of the situation, enables you to articulate what you want in a clear manner, and gives you the opportunity to write it down.
