I have read so many books about how to be a great leader.  I thought it would be “fun” to make a list of the bad leadership traits to identify what a horrible leader looks like.  Of course this is done in the hope that one can avoid the ill effects on an organization from any of bad leadership behaviors.  We cannot all be perfect, but all it takes is a few of these in the right combination to kill moral and create a horribly run organization.

50 Bad Leadership Examples

1. Belittling and condescending communication to staff.
2. Little communication with your staff.
3. Not empowering your staff to succeed.
4. Asking them a hundred questions with every decision they make.
5. Not admitting when you have made a mistake.
6. Not giving raises to your staff or not compensating them appropriately.
7. Not recognizing your staff for achievements they have made.
8. Ignoring your staff.
9. Not providing executive level sponsorship for your management.
10. Not providing management with the authority to perform their jobs.
11. Not providing the resources to your management staff in completing their objectives.
12. Yelling at your staff.
13. Forgetting common occasions. (Your staff gives you a Birthday/Christmas card or gift and you never do the same for them.)
14. Using threats with your staff.
15. Making your staff feel guilty if they do not do something extra.
16. Using fear tactics to “motivate” your staff.
17. Always having to throw in your 2 cents to every idea your staff offers.
18. Playing favorites with your staff.
19. Doing things that are self-serving.
20. Incompetent in something critical to the organizations success and unable to improve or fill in that incompetence with other staff members.
21. Lying to your staff—and then trying to cover it up.
22. Making “examples” of a staff member in front of others.
23. Disregarding the health and welfare of your staff.
24. Not providing your staff the training to succeed.
25. Not providing your staff opportunities to progress and grow.
26. Being callous.
27. Being unforgiving of staff mistakes.
28. Holding past mistakes against your staff time after time.
29. Not giving your staff adequate working environments.
30. Analysis Paralysis – i.e. indecisiveness.
31. Ignoring needed change.
32. Being cheap.
33. Not planning.
34. Not setting a clear vision.
35. Being a poor example of execution and accountability, but expecting others to execute.
36. Butting into your staff’s responsibilities by doing things under their role without consulting with them.
37. Not providing structure in your organization.
38. Unwillingness to take risks.
39. Poor management of oneself.
40. Deceitful.
41. Impulsiveness.
42. Unable to take criticism.
43. Unwilling to improve from criticism.
44. Unethical business practices.
45. Does not use conflict to correctly drive innovation.
46. Believing your staff when they sing praises for you and then forming an ego.
47. Misinterpreting signs.
48. Disrespect for your staff.
49. Unable to trust.
50. Overly negative or overly positive.  (Overly positive meaning, ignoring bad signs and taking action, because you are so positive and hopeful that things will improve.)

I decided to limit myself to 50.  I am sure you have some more to add.  Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and add to the list.