How leaders view themselves is largely their theory about their own performance. It’s a theory that is rarely tested or evaluated, and it’s sometimes shockingly out of touch with reality, says Dave Winsborough.

But what do bad leaders do to be poorly regarded? Writing in the February issue of Employment Today, Winsborough draws from a database of 360° evaluations of over 1200 Kiwi managers in order to understand what poorly rated managers do in the everyday world of work.

What 360 degree surveys reveal

Having staff anonymously rate their leaders using a standardised 360° survey provides a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each individual manager, he says.

 Top 4 bad behaviours

The results produced a startling snapshot. Four behaviours distinguished bad leaders from average or well-regarded leaders:

1. They are poor at managing their own emotional and social behaviour;
2. They lack integrity, avoid accountability, are seen as dishonest in their dealings with others, and their behaviours are inconsistent with organisational values;
3. They are bad at making the tough performance-related calls and at coaching;
4. They make minimal efforts to develop and grow their staff.

Beating bad leadership

Click the link to find out more about why bad leaders are costly, how poor leadership persists, and what organisations can do to reduce bad leadership

(The link is a PDF of the full Bad Manager article.)

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