Many discussions on LinkedIn about bad managers tend to portray them as "bad apples" who lack basic management skills. However, it's important to acknowledge that many poor managers do know how to manage, but they do so in their own self-interest. What most content fails to address is that bad people managers impose their own value system onto their team, including their way of working, thinking, prioritizing and managing. This type of leadership is self-serving, prioritizing their ego and personal interests over the success of the company or its people.
Additionally, poor people managers often survive because they have accomplices. This includes companies that overlook their bad behavior, a culture of high turnover with employees leaving for "better opportunities", subordinates who emulate their leadership style without questioning it, and silence from those who have left and found better opportunities but did not provide honest feedback. When we consider poor leadership, we need to understand that it is not solely a result of individual shortcomings, but also a product of a flawed system.
In order to cultivate better leaders, it is crucial to create an environment that encourages honest feedback from their teams. This means actively soliciting and valuing input, and taking action and providing rewards based on the desired leadership qualities. It also requires the courage to recognize patterns of poor leadership without making excuses or brushing them aside with superficial justifications. Only by addressing and confronting these issues head-on can we truly foster effective leadership.
