I read a quote recently that struck a chord: “Employees don’t leave bad companies; they leave bad managers.”
Think about that for a moment. It means that it doesn’t matter how well someone is paid, how big their office is or how great their view, how many perks they receive, or how close they get to parking next to the building. None of these benefits offset the negative impact—the psychological damage—a bad manager can dole out.
Abusive and bullying managers aside, I’ve put together a list of six types of “bad” managers—as in detrimental to the engagement, well-being, productivity, and job satisfaction of their team. If you have more types to add, feel free to drop them in the comments.
Here they are, in no particular order:
#1: The Two-Faced Leader
These managers talk endlessly about “supporting the team” and say things like, “My door is always open,” but then do nothing to back that claim up. They’re full of praise during meetings but point fingers behind closed doors. These are the types of managers who also put on a good show when managing upward—”My team is doing great, we’re working hard”—but in reality, the team is disempowered, disengaged, and burned out. Two-faced leaders frequently treat their team as disposable commodities—or “unfortunate casualties” when cuts need to be made.
Although these leaders may offer occasional feedback like, “This needs to improve,” they’ll do little, if anything, to help you develop your skills. These are the leaders who will fire you after one mistake, entirely overlooking your years of good work, productivity, and loyalty.
#2: The Rulebreaker-in-Chief
These are the “rules-for-thee-not-for-me” managers. They strictly enforce policies—deadlines, processes, conduct—yet casually violate the same rules when it suits them. When questioned, they deflect, justify, or minimize. They’ll tear into you if you’re back two minutes late from your 30-minute lunch break but take two- to three-hour lunches themselves. They almost never show up on time, take personal calls during work hours, and leave at any moment they please.
I know readers might challenge me here by saying that bosses and CEOs are allowed to do what they want. You might also be thinking, “They pay your salary, so you have to do what they say.” And to that I say, “Hell no.” Blatantly breaking rules while punishing employees for doing the same shows a lack of integrity and empathy. If you can’t follow regulations like everyone else, don’t be a manager; open your own business and work for yourself.
#3: The Credit Thief
Imagine working weeks or months on an important project. You gave up your social life and spent so many hours in front of your computer that your dry eyeballs make squeaking noises when you blink. But the project is done—all your hard work has paid off.
You get a pat on the back, a few words of praise during the next meeting, and a couple of slices of pizza. And then, when your work is presented to higher-ups or clients, your manager takes credit for it. They act like it’s their magnum opus; talk about how exhausting the work was. They then get a raise and drive a new BMW while your rusted car clunks its way into the parking lot.
These are the managers who position themselves as indispensable by harvesting others’ effort. You put in the sweat and tears; they hand you a tissue and then reap the rewards. You can try asking for a raise but you’ll probably get the runaround. “It’s not in the budget right now,” “Keep working hard… maybe next year,” or “Hard work should be its own reward.”
#4: The Performative Empath
They say all the right things about well-being, burnout, and balance, but nothing ever changes. You tell them you’re doing the job of three people—but being paid for one—and all they do is smile sympathetically and make some vague promise about “hiring someone to give you a hand.” The next thing you know, they dump a whole new set of duties on your plate and mumble a “sorry,” or “thanks for being such a valued member of the team.”
The worst types of performative empaths are the coaches or consultants who talk endlessly about employee well-being with clients but never practice what they preach. That’s like offering fire safety tips while your house burns in the background. In the end, empathy becomes a branding gimmick—an empty gesture—instead of a leadership behavior.
#5: The Micromanaging Optimizer
It doesn’t matter whether you’re answering an email or changing the font size of a document—every detail must pass through them. They frame this obsessive control as quality assurance, but in reality it’s all about power. In fact, this is a common behavior in “power-trippers.” The only way they feel useful, important, confident, or meaningful is when they’re the ones calling the shots.
Micromanagers won’t care how many years of experience you have; they’ll still want to dictate how you do your job. These are the same types of managers who keep decision-making power to themselves and who will install spyware on your computer.
#6: The Shifting Goalpost Setter
Expectations change midstream. What was “great work” last month—that they approved—suddenly isn’t good enough. Feedback is either vague or annoyingly pedantic, and they can never really decide what they want. If you gently disagree with their changes, they’ll take it as criticism instead of professional advice.
These are the managers who will suddenly decide that something needs a complete overhaul—like the company’s website. They’ll tell you that you have free rein… and then complain about your design choices. Or, worse yet, they will choose the templates and color schemes and then hate them months later.
So what’s the best way to deal with these types of managers? That depends on how much of their behavior you can tolerate. You can try talking to them, setting boundaries, documenting issues—but at what point does their behavior become too much?
If you’re currently working with one of these managers and you’re feeling worn out, uninspired, and disengaged, that’s the sign that you’ve reached your limit. And while it may sound rather flippant to say, “just leave if you’re unhappy,” I intend it as a wake-up call. Would you rather stay in a job with a manager who, frankly, shouldn’t be in a leadership position in the first place, or would you rather take a risk and find a company that will value your skills, input, and dedication? Mull on that for a little while.