Ten Signs of an Incompetent Leader

Poor leadership surrounds us, it's a fact of life and they seemingly find a way to keep their jobs. They are more focused on their personal
needs and not of the professional needs of those below them. They have
a hard time developing their employees because they lack the proper
management techniques to do so. A leader is someone who you would
follow to a place you would not go alone. Leadership is about action
not status.

However, the question is, how do we know when we are dealing with
these flaw ridden individuals. A lot of the time, a poor manager can
make the perception that he/she is busy and organized. I have
developed a small guideline that can help pinpoint these leaders.

Incompetent Leaders will:

1. Delegate work rather than balance workloads. This allows all
attention to be diverted from them in case of failure. It may seem to
them that are managing their people but in actuality they are
creating work imbalances within the group. It can create unnecessary
overtime for some and under utilization of others. A good manager is
aware of the skill sets of all the people below them and should
allocate work accordingly while trying to enhance the skills of
everyone to be even more productive.

2. Reduce all answers to Yes or No rather than explaining their
reasoning. This is an example of a crisis manager who cannot think
farther than a few hours ahead. A yes/no manager finds it a waste of
time to find the real answer through intellectual thought. They are
already thinking about the next crisis.

3. Not separate personal life from professional life. They will bring
their personal problem to work. Working for these types of managers
can be very dramatic. They are unable to separate their emotional
imbalances while trying to manage people. They are less focused and
will not give you the attention and direction you need for success.

4. Manage crisis. If you are a company that has crisis managers, then
you can say goodbye to innovation and progression. Proactive thinking
is critical to the success of any company. If you are not finding
ways to stop or reduce the amount of crisis that has to be managed,
then your competition will pass you by. Leaders have to think out of
the box and make change.

5. Create an environment where mistakes are unacceptable. Being held
accountable for wrong decisions is a fear for them. Making mistakes
only helps you become a better person, manager, etc. I use the
analogy of a basketball player that has no fouls. If they are not
going for the ball and taking chances with their opponent, then they
are trying hard enough. Take a chance and don't be scared.

6. Humiliate or reprimand an employee within a group. This is a
clear and visible sign of a poor leader. A good leader takes employee
problems away from a group setting to a more private setting. If you
have a boss that does this, it is time for a visit to human
resources.

7. Not stand behind subordinates when they fail. Never leave your
people to hang out to dry. Always back them up, right, wrong, or
indifferent. If an employee tries their best in a situation and they
fail to come through. They should be commended on their effort and
not punished for the failure

8. Encourage hard workers not smart workers. I am not impressed with
hard workers. A hard worker is usually defined by hours. Smart
workers are the ones that I hire and embrace. Smart workers
understand the concept of time management and multi-tasking. Poor
leaders miss this connection. Smart workers are methodical in their
thinking and can generally be successful because of their abilities
management projects and time. Hard workers may take twice as long to
do the work. It is important to assign work accordingly to the skills
and personalities

9. Judge people on hours not performance. This is similar to #8.
Again, I am not impressed with overtime junkies. They have lost all
perspective on a healthy family/balance. Bad managers will promote
the employees that work the most hours and not look at the smart ones
who work less, meaning have better time management. Stop watching the
lock.

10. Act differently in front of their leaders. This is an indication
of low self-confidence. They have doubts about their own ability to
lead and they will act like little children when authority is
present. A confident person acts the same around everyone. Remember,
have respect for them, but also have self-respect.

By Chris Ortiz
Sumber: Milis bursaide-BPPT