Bad boss | Common qualities of the world's worst managers

Bad bosses come in all shapes and sizes; many may be insecure in their leadership, whilst others may well be over-confident in their inflated egos and their abilities. Some look to control and micromanage every aspect of their businesses, whilst others are aloof and barely interact with their staff at all.

There are innumerable ways to be a bad boss, and sadly those who simply aren’t capable of truly leading their company are more prevalent than you may think. For example, Inc research stated that three in four employees reported that their boss is the worst and most stressful part of their job, whilst Ken Blanchard Companies data suggested that the average organisation is 50% as productive as it should be, thanks to less-than-optimal leadership practices.

This can have devastating ramifications on not just the business, but its employees. Swedish researchers at the Stress Research Institute in Stockholm studied 3,100 men over the course of ten years. The men who reported having bosses they didn’t respect were 60% more likely to suffer a heart attack or another life-threatening cardiac condition, according to the Institute's report published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

So, it’s not only essential that employees can spot a bad boss and avoid them, but also that bosses recognise the common traits that crop up again and again in poor leaders and ensure that they themselves avoid displaying these traits.