When Being a “Bad Leader” Is Good

You could be a “bad leader” for doing the right thing!

Servant leadership doesn’t win popularity contests in authoritarian environments. Showing up as a humble leader in a dysfunctional culture makes you the problem.

Be a "bad leader" when people think good leadership is bad. Image of one candle shining in the dark.

12 “Bad Leader” Behaviors:

Being vulnerable where people pretend they have it all together.
Addressing long-standing issues with teams that sweep problems under the rug.
Serving others in cultures built on self-interest.
Giving and seeking honest feedback in an environment where silence is the safest strategy.
Giving credit to the team when self-promotion is the standard.
Holding people accountable when mediocrity is the norm.
Challenging favoritism in a system built on politics and alliances.
Refusing to micromanage in a culture obsessed with control.
Saying “I don’t know” where leaders are know-it-alls.
Listening to dissenters when leaders expect blind loyalty.
Prioritizing people over short-term results in a company that burns through employees.
Making decisions based on values instead of going along to get along.

Be a “bad leader” when people think good leadership is bad.

7 Ways to Be a “Bad Leader” in a Good Way:

When bad means caring when others don’t or truth-telling when others won’t, being bad is the best thing you can be.

Be positive. The ability to flourish in destructive environments requires gratitude and optimism.
Know your values. Clarity enables confidence.
Practice tolerance. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Choose an issue you have the authority to change.
Offer different methods, not different goals. Everyone wants high performance, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Care for people. Don’t demonize the people you want to change.
Bring results. Prove “bad leadership” is effective.
Avoid defensiveness. Keep the big picture in mind.

Tip: Prepare an exit strategy.

What are the best ways to practice “bad leadership”?

Michael Lapointe inspired this post with a comment he made yesterday. Toxic Behaviors that Poison Teams

https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/09/dysfunctional-leadership-teams-and-how-to-fix-them