Studies say that almost 1 out of every 10 leaders our there are unteachable. They are narcissistic and tend to drain the capability and intelligence of their subordinates rather than promoting them. Bad leadership can have adverse effects on the company, including low morale, motivation, productivity and retention rate. So how do you know whether a leader is unteachable? Look out for these signs.
Displays a Know-It-All Attitude
An unteachable leader will act as if he knows the organization and its workings inside out although the truth will be far from that. He will have little concerns for your findings and insist on doing things his way. Anything you find contrary to what he says he knows, he will dismiss it without a thought, pressurizing you to follow his beliefs.
Loves to Micromanage
Unteachable leaders tend to micromanage every single detail of their employee’s jobs. They give little room for autonomy and responsibility on the employee’s part, forcing the latter to do things their way. They will also be very insecure of letting anyone else in charge of a project lest they are overshadowed in the process.
Has Minimal Communication Traits
An unteachable leader does not communicate well with his employees. Communication tends to be a one way channel wherein the employee listens and the leader speaks. The unteachable leader is also very poor when it comes to responding to staff messages and emails. He will also fail in letting the employees know about significant changes in the organization until the very last minute, thus causing an immediate disruption in productivity.
Intimidates Employees
An unteachable leader is known to bully and intimidate his employees. He uses his power as a tool to threaten his employees, and criticizes them openly for their mistakes. He even threatens to fire employees unless they cope up with his demands on both the professional and personal fronts.
Effective Pointers to follow to become a good leader
Now that you know what it takes to be a bad leader, take a look at some traits you need to follow in order to become a good leader.
- Understand Your Specific Leadership Style
As a leader, you may have your own style of handling your staff. Your first job is to understand this style and find out whether it is actually fruitful or not. Write down the positives and negative aspects of this style. This will help you identify the areas in which you are strong and the areas you need to work on going forward.
- Become a Role Model
Before asking your employees to follow certain traits, make sure you are following them yourself. For instance, it doesn’t work if you ask your employees to be on time to office and end up coming late yourself. Be a role model for them so that it will become easier for them to emulate your behavior and use these qualities to grow their respective careers.
- Communicate Effectively
Establish a two-way communication channel that allows each one of your employees to speak and be heard. Show sincere concern for your team members when it matters and follow an open communication mode which will let your employees know they can approach you whenever needed to address concerns or contribute ideas.
- Apologize for Mistakes Committed
It doesn’t hurt to ask sorry when you make a mistake. Leaders who apologize to their team members set an example of good will wherein the employees know their leader is approachable. Rather than hiding your weaknesses and throwing the blame for a mistake on someone else, own it up. This will motivate your employees to follow the same practice and follow directions better.
An unteachable leader can be detrimental to the progress of an organization. It can even lead to the organization’s downfall. Avoid the pitfalls of bad leadership while following the traits of good leadership to become an outstanding leader.
