Toxic bosses: 11 defining characteristics

Let's be realistic, few individuals are passionate about going to work and fully enjoying what they do. Are you one of those who can't stand going to work? Welcome to the club... because you are not alone. If it's hard to get up in the morning for a quick toast and run to the office, yes above you have a boss (or boss) who makes sure that the workplace is the closest thing to hell, living becomes very Lasted.

There are many types of bosses, and surely throughout your life you have come across someone who has embittered your existence. Well today we are going to talk about toxic bossesThose bosses that we don't even want to see in paint.

Toxic bosses negatively affect employee well-being

The relationship of superiors with subordinates has been the result of various studies in the workplace, and the Organizational psychologists have been interested in this relationship for many reasons, but mainly because a good relationship between bosses and employees increases productivity and company results

. No less important is to know that, although many companies do not pay due attention to this phenomenon, the leadership style of superiors affects the well-being of employees.

Employee well-being is also closely related to company results. And for this reason, organizations should take special care when evaluating this variable, because the stress and labor unrest, among other causes, may be the result of a toxic relationship between these actors.

A toxic leadership style and poor leadership skills on the part of superiors can lead to phenomena such as role conflict, role ambiguity or Role overload, which in turn can provoke negative feelings in employees: such as wanting to leave the company or having a poor sense of belonging to the company company.

Transformational leadership for better employee well-being

The organizational world has undergone great changes in the last three decades due to globalization, and stress has become a very serious problem for companies. The crisis has created really difficult situations for workers, who have had to adapt to changes and a less safe work environment. Not to mention that your expectations are very different from those of just a few decades ago, just like your needs.

Studies suggest that one of the leadership styles that best fits the times is transformational leadership. Transformational leaders use high levels of communication to achieve goals and provide a vision for change that they manage to convey to employees. They are great motivators and increase the productivity of the workers under their charge. With their charisma they cause a great impact on their subordinates and earn their trust, respect and admiration. Quite the opposite of toxic bosses.

Recommended article: "Types of Leadership: The 5 most common types of leader"

Four out of ten bosses are toxic

And there are more toxic bosses than we think. At least that can be read in the newspaper The world, because in one of his articles he echoed a statement that appears in the book, New management for dummies. According to this text, four out of 10 bosses are toxic.

What's more, in the same newspaper there is a list of five profiles of toxic boss who, according to Ana María Castillo and Juan Carlos Cubeiro, two renowned professionals with extensive experience in the university and business environment, create a bad work environment and negatively affect employees employees. They are as follows:

• The stalker or bully, characterized by humiliating his subordinates and giving orders by abusing his power.
• The micro-detailer, that he is unable to delegate because he thinks that no one is up to the task.
• The workaholic, who thinks that work shifts are 24 hours.
• The all-numbers, which only gives value to economic results.
• The favorite, which is neither fair nor impartial.

Characteristics of a toxic boss

But what characteristics do they have in common with toxic bosses? These are the 11 characteristic traits of bosses who have lost their sense of fairness.

1. They are arrogant and do not communicate well

Toxic bosses are arrogant and do not communicate properly with subordinates. They think they are always right and expect others to accept their words just because they are the boss.

2. They do not take into account the needs of employees

Bosses who have lost the sense of their role in the company never take into account the needs of the employeesWell, they only think about numbers. They are not aware that workers are the engine of the company and, therefore, they must be taken care of.

3. They are autocratic

Toxic bosses only allow them to make decisions and set guidelines without group involvement. They are the ones who concentrate all the power and nobody challenges their decisions.

4. They are easily irritable

Bad bosses have little patience and are easily irritated. Since they are not open to the ideas of others, they do not want to be disturbed. Toxic bosses are unaware that the true wealth of their organization is human capital.

5. They are inflexible

Toxic bosses are mentally closed and panicky about change, so they are not very innovative. The lack of innovation, in most cases, makes it difficult to adapt to the modern market and, therefore, the progress of the organization.

6. They are too controlling

These types of bosses control excessively. That is why, by supervising each and every one of the tasks carried out by their subordinates, they diminish their creative capacity.

7. They have no confidence in themselves

They may appear confident, but the reality is that they are not.. A confident leader is not afraid to delegate when necessary, nor is he afraid to value the opinions of the group. Their insecurity makes them toxic bosses.

8. They have unrealistic expectations

Toxic bosses have unrealistic expectations, so they tend to demand more than they owe their employees. Not only that, but they are ungrateful when others do things well, since they only focus on the negative.

9. They discriminate

Bosses without style are full of prejudice. In fact, they tend to have a sexist and racist mentality, in addition to other discriminatory behaviors.

10. They manage time badly

Planning both work and time is essential when leading teams, as it can be a source of stress if not done correctly. One of the problems of toxic bosses is the inability to manage and prioritize your time correctly and effectively, which can lead to the saturation of tasks and responsibilities. Ultimately, his poor time management is paid for by his subordinates.

11. They do not give rise to creativity

Bad bosses are unable to recognize the talent and creativity of their employees. They are governed by rigid rules and dynamics, leaving no room for improvisation. This causes employees to have fully mechanical functions and fail to develop their capabilities.. It is a common mistake, and the company is the main victim of this attitude.