When Being a “Bad Leader” Is Good
You could be a “bad leader” for doing the right thing!
Servant leadership doesn’t win popularity contests in authoritarian environments. Showing up as a humble leader in a dysfunctional culture makes you the problem.
12 “Bad Leader” Behaviors:
- Being vulnerable where people pretend they have it all together.
- Addressing long-standing issues with teams that sweep problems under the rug.
- Serving others in cultures built on self-interest.
- Giving and seeking honest feedback in an environment where silence is the safest strategy.
- Giving credit to the team when self-promotion is the standard.
- Holding people accountable when mediocrity is the norm.
- Challenging favoritism in a system built on politics and alliances.
- Refusing to micromanage in a culture obsessed with control.
- Saying “I don’t know” where leaders are know-it-alls.
- Listening to dissenters when leaders expect blind loyalty.
- Prioritizing people over short-term results in a company that burns through employees.
- Making decisions based on values instead of going along to get along.
Be a “bad leader” when people think good leadership is bad.
7 Ways to Be a “Bad Leader” in a Good Way:
When bad means caring when others don’t or truth-telling when others won’t, being bad is the best thing you can be.
- Be positive. The ability to flourish in destructive environments requires gratitude and optimism.
- Know your values. Clarity enables confidence.
- Practice tolerance. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Choose an issue you have the authority to change.
- Offer different methods, not different goals. Everyone wants high performance, effectiveness, and efficiency.
- Care for people. Don’t demonize the people you want to change.
- Bring results. Prove “bad leadership” is effective.
- Avoid defensiveness. Keep the big picture in mind.
Tip: Prepare an exit strategy.
What are the best ways to practice “bad leadership”?
Michael Lapointe inspired this post with a comment he made yesterday. Toxic Behaviors that Poison Teams
https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/09/dysfunctional-leadership-teams-and-how-to-fix-them
When leaders challenge the status quo and hold people accountable, some people will get angry and upset. Some people will view you as a “bad leader.” But that comes with the role of leading.
Leaders need to make the tough decisions and always act in an professional manner–showing respect and honesty. That’s a good leader!!
As a servant leader in a toxic environment, realize your capacity in going against the current. Eventually, you will be exhausted by the efforts. While you still have the strength, be true to your values and integrity as a servant leader while looking for another opportunity to get the HECK out of DODGE!
You’re exactly right Michael. It gets exhausting and frustrating when trying to lead in a toxic environment. I tried to be optimistic for over ten years and then finally gave up and left my job. Best thing I could have done. Took everything I learned about the toxic environment and did the opposite at my new job and had great results!
Newer leader here… do you mean that you switched to “self-serving” leadership in your new job, or that you started to “play the game” but still stayed positive when you could?
I never changed my leadership style. I changed jobs to one that had a positive culture where I could make contributions using servant leadership principles. It was worth it and I enjoyed going to work again. I didn’t need to “play the game” at the new job – they were all good, forthright people.
Today’s post is so timely. Thank you for the inspiration to continue being true to my values and also take some time to think harder at the potential to influence or the need to change before I burn out going against the current (as mentioned by Michael).
Agree 100% as I have encountered this in my current role and toxic culture. When leading with integrity and doing the right thing led to me being identified as the problem instead of addressing the true issues. This not only effects good employees it effects patients who we commit to a culture of safety and zero harm on the surface.
I’ve always found it amazing that the people who try to do the right thing and have morals/ethics are often labelled as “the problem”. My toxic supervisors/administrators NEVER were able to understand the damage they did to the good, honest, hard working employees who appreciated the supervisors that utilized a servant leadership approach Most of the time the toxic supervisors utilized an autocratic or laissez-faire style of leadership that was destructive and unproductive.
Always lead with your head up. Always do the right thing for your client even though Bethey may not see it. Always educate, but in a non-judgmental way. Always respect others even when they don’t respect you. You are the Professional that provides answers and actions for the client. They need their hand held through each ordeal. If it was easy they wouldn’t need you. Take pride in what you do. Don’t look to others to recognize your efforts. Do recognize others for their efforts.