Even the best leaders have areas to improve, but there’s a clear difference between those striving for growth and bosses who create a toxic work culture.
Research from MIT Sloan Management Review in early 2021 showed that over 40% of employees considered leaving their jobs, leading to a surge in resignations known as “The Great Resignation.”
The study found that a toxic work culture is over 10 times more influential than compensation in driving industry attrition rates.
What makes a toxic boss?
Knowing what makes one bad is important to understand the signs of a toxic boss.
A boss becomes toxic when their leadership doesn’t work well and makes their team unhappy, stressed, and tired. They typically exhibit behaviors and characteristics that undermine employee morale, well-being, and productivity.
Some bosses are not good at managing, while others like to control everything, put down their staff, or misuse their power.
No matter why it happens, a toxic work culture usually leads to a bad environment where people don’t work well and employees keep leaving.
9 Signs that you have a toxic boss
Whether dealing with a toxic boss or trying to figure out if you have one on your team, keep an eye out for these eight warning signs:
1. They ignore you
When you have a bad boss, they ignore you. Your ideas and worries don’t get heard.
Tiziana Casciaro, a professor at the University of Toronto, says this hurts not just your team but the whole company.
“No organization can thrive without people learning from each other. Otherwise, we all do the same things we’ve always done,” Casciaro says, adding that if it’s difficult to communicate with your boss and admit mistakes due to fear, the team won’t grow.
You miss chances to learn and share ideas when you can’t talk openly. It might make you feel like your work isn’t important.
2. They create toxic work culture through micromanagement
Micromanagement is not only annoying but also indicative of toxicity in a boss, says Peter Ronayne, a senior faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership and co-author of The Toxic Boss Survival Guide.
When bosses insist on controlling everything and taking credit for other’s work, it shows a lack of trust and a need for control.
3. They lie
As the saying goes, “If you do something wrong and lie about it, that’s often worse than the original offense,” this holds true even in workplaces.
When a boss lies, it shows they can’t be trusted, making it hard to have a good relationship with employees.
Sometimes, bosses lie without realizing it, while others intentionally do it to avoid the truth. Either way, it creates toxic workplaces.
4. They never admit their fault
Even the best managers make mistakes, but good ones admit to them, while toxic ones shift blame. Great leaders seek feedback and trust their team, while managers who deny mistakes likely worsen the workplace environment.
5. They grab credit
Some managers never admit when they’re wrong, are slow to fix problems, and are quick to take credit, even for things they didn’t do, Hypertime noted.
Good managers credit their team members and tell higher-ups who came up with ideas. But bad managers hint or say the idea was theirs.
This makes work tough because people get blamed for mistakes or don’t get recognized for their work.
6. There’s no growth
Under a toxic boss, your job might feel repetitive and boring. Over time, you don’t get new tasks, your work isn’t appreciated, and you feel trapped, according to The Muse.
“A toxic boss demotivates,” Casciaro says, adding that they don’t let you do your work your way and don’t listen much—the first two signs —and don’t let you use your skills to the fullest.
7. They are deceitful
According to Ronayne, toxic bosses often behave differently depending on who is around, a behavior akin to being “two-faced.”
This inconsistency can create problems as it may obscure their mistreatment of subordinates from higher-ups.
Additionally, it can make subordinates feel isolated and intimidated when addressing their concerns about the boss’s behavior.
8. They gossip
Office gossip is often a sign of a toxic work culture.
In good workplaces, gossip isn’t a thing. If your boss talks about coworkers behind their backs to you, they might also gossip about you to others, as per Huntr.
When a boss mentions a gossip they heard about you, it’s a sign they’re toxic.
A real leader would stop office gossip right away. They might say, “Give them a chance” or “Try talking to them first” to help solve work issues instead of spreading rumors.
9. They don’t appreciate you
When someone constantly acts like they’re the best, it’s often because they feel small inside. This behavior is commonly seen in people with toxic bosses at work.
Praising their hard work can help reduce their bragging. If your team has many big egos, it’s worth considering who’s leading them.
Working with a bad boss, or having one on your team, can harm the workplace.
It can lead to more absences, disengagement, and turnover if not addressed.
This negativity can slowly enter the company without being noticed.
Recognizing the signs is the initial step in addressing the issue.
Ultimately, companies must train managers better and give them tools to do their job well, and take proactive steps for a healthier workplace.
If you think you are stuck in a toxic work culture because of your boss, watch the video below:
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