The number one reason employees complain about their jobs and eventually say, “Take this job and shove it,” is because of an abusive boss. A SHRM study found that bad bosses cost companies $223 billion dollars in turnover between 2014 and 2019. Instead of seeking advice, asking for input or showing humility, bad bosses are notorious for ruling with an iron fist, using intimidation as a defense against their own insecurities, unwittingly undermining subordinates to reinforce their own, more powerful position. They micromanage and pressure employees to match their own inhuman standards of long hours and frantic pace. You can find a list of some of the telltale signs to look for in a bad boss here.
In “the good old days,” business was built on a motto that you live by the book and follow the straight and narrow. If you didn’t rock the boat and went along with the corporate culture, you could retire with the proverbial gold watch and live happily ever after. If your workplace was toxic or you suffered work stress, burnout or mental health issues at the hands of a toxic boss, you were expected to grin and bear it. But not anymore. The American workforce has resounded with such trends as The Great Resignation, “quiet quitting,” “productivity paranoia,” “proximity bias” and “lazy girl jobs.” The younger generation is sending a clear signal. They will no longer tolerate toxic bosses, a climate of fear, urgency, anxiety or disrespect, mistreatment, burnout or work-life imbalance in a job.
Signs Of Bad Boss Energy
Leaders with bad boss energy confuse their subordinates, gaslight employees, email before thinking and mange down. You’ve worked with them, have worked for them and actively try to avoid them. They have bad boss energy, according to neuropsychologist, Dr. Julia DiGangi, and she insists that, although it’s pervasive, there’s a way to nip it in the bud. DiGangi, author of Energy Rising: The Neuroscience of Leading with Emotional Power, explains that energy isn’t encased in a crystal ball; it’s brain science, she told me by email. You know you’re dealing with bad boss energy when interactions with your boss make your heart pound, jaw clench or bring up feelings of dread and anxiety.
