Why Does Bad Leadership Still Exist? Here Are 2 Theories
Leadership advice is everywhere. In any book store, on any magazine stand, and on almost any website, there is someone telling us how to lead better.
Similar to tips about fitness and health, you could can get daily leaderships via email or even buy a leadership day-planner (who knew?) from Franklin filled with inspirational quotes.
With all of the free and power information out there to help each of us become better, I wonder, and maybe you do too,
Why does bad leadership still exist?
Last weekend I was at the Platform Conference in Dallas. I wasn't able to attend every session (more on that later), but I was able to hang-out groupie-style.
During this conference, leaders from across the continent came and spoke to bloggers, podcasters and entrepreneurs about how to build a “platform” to help them spread their message.
While there is a lot of free information to build our leadership abilities, the 150+ attendees of the Platform Conference had spent their hard-earned money to listen to the best, up close and personal.
For learning about leadership, there are both free and paid options, as well as every variation of the two.
Since there seems to be no shortage of education on the subject, I still wonder,
Why does bad leadership still exist?
After thinking about it, here is what I came up with.
Bad leadership still exists because of two things:
- Fear
- Arrogance
Fear
Fear causes leaders to stay where they are in their abilities.
A bad leader fears empowering their team because they think it will make them look weak. Delegating authority and responsibility is hard to do and both involve a high level of trust.
Bad leadership exists because fear tells the leader they have to hold onto control in order to stay relevant and needed.
This makes me wonder what else fear could be lying about.
Arrogance
Arrogance tells leaders it's okay to stay where they are in their abilities.
If a leader can be convinced they're already at the pinnacle of leadership, they will not improve.
As silly as that sounds, I'm sure you know at least one leader (who is probably little more than a “manager”) who is convinced they're as awesome as they need to be.
Arrogance also tells a bad leader their team would follow them to the end of the earth. Or, that they don't need their team to like them because they are, after all, the boss.
What a crock of sh*t.
I hate that crap. If anyone tells you to do what they say because they're the “boss”, that person should be fired on the spot by the real boss and added to your mental ignore list.
Arrogance tells an otherwise good leader their employees are replaceable, not worth investing in, and beneath them.
In the end, bad leadership exists because it's easier to put others down than it is to build them up.
Bad leadership exists because connecting human to human is hard and opens us up to emotional discomfort, but we still have to do it.
Bad leadership does exist, but it doesn't have to.
Question: Are there bad leaders or only bad leadership? Join the discussion below by clicking here!
While I do agree…I believe its simple mentality as expressed perfectly in this image. Maybe you’re title should be, “Why do bad bosses exist?” or “Why do bosses exist?” 🙂
Paul, great pic! I’ll test those titles too!
While I do agree…I believe its simple mentality as expressed perfectly in this image. Maybe you’re title should be, “Why do bad bosses exist?” or “Why do bosses exist?” 🙂
Paul, great pic! I’ll test those titles too!