Many have learned this lesson from their careers: great managers inspire their employees. Bad managers provide good life-lessons!

Some say people do not quit companies, they quit their managers. I’ve heard this comment over and over again. Clearly, companies need to invest in mentoring their managers and give them the training they need to be a leader—not just a boss.

Many have been inspired by having a great leader in their career. A positive experience with a leader creates tremendous loyalty to their company. It inspires people to do their best. The impact of a great leader sticks with employees for their entire career.

Bad managers can leave emotional scars on people for many years. However, there is also a lot that can be learned from them. Bad managers teach people what not to do once they get into a management position.

In late 2013, Gallup released the results of their two year long study regarding the state of the American worker. Part of the study involved polling 1 million employed U.S. workers from all over the USA. The data from the survey confirmed that the No. 1 reason people quit their job is due to bad management. Another of the findings from Gallup, is that the productivity of poorly managed employees is 50 percent less than well managed. Additionally, well managed employees are 56 percent more profitable than poorly managed. Clearly, bad managers can cause a substantial negative hit to the company bottom line. Poor management also leads to low employee morale, causes employees added stress that can sometimes lead to serious health issues, decreases productivity, and leads to high turnover. Great leadership promotes a company culture that is rich in innovation which increases the company bottom line and helps create a sustainable business model.

Of the approximately 100 million people in America who hold full-time jobs, 30 million (30%) are engaged and inspired at work, so we can assume they have a great boss. At the other end of the spectrum are roughly 20 million (20%) employees who are actively disengaged. These employees—who have bosses from hell that make them miserable—roam the halls spreading discontent. (Gallup CEO Jim Clifton)

I love this quote from Gallup’s CEO! However, when I was dealing with a bad boss, I not only roamed the halls at work spreading discontent, I was spreading discontent everywhere I went. In my case the bad situation at work began negatively affecting me in all areas of my life.

The Bottom Line

Great leaders inspire people and make the company money. Bad leaders tear down people and the company, piece by piece. Companies need to be able to recognize the signs of bad management. Then they should take action to either improve the manager’s skills or find someone else that would be a better fit for the role.

Your thoughts?

Beth Kelzer
Follow Beth at LinkedIn.com/in/marybkelzer
CareerToolboxUSA

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