How Not to Manage People

Good managers prioritize team success over self-serving pursuits.

Good managers share a few traits: They’re fair, accountable, adaptable and empathetic. They have integrity. They’re strong communicators who turn mistakes into learning opportunities and empower those they lead. 

Unfortunately, bad management is quite common. More than half of the workers who responded to a 2019 survey by Mental Health America reported a lack of motivation at work. Only about half reported receiving sufficient direction from their managers to do their jobs effectively. Good managers offer guidance and help people feel confident about their work, but research suggests that many managers fail in this regard: 80% of the survey respondents felt strongly that their corporate culture eroded their confidence in their job performance.

Study the mistakes of bad managers so you can avoid them. One of the worst mistakes bad managers make is putting their ego-driven wishes above the needs of their team. To be an awful manager, do the following: Forget humility; don’t bother learning...