Mangerial Derailment

Researchers have studied managerial derailment — or the dark side of leadership - for many years. The key derailment characteristics of bad managers are well documented and fall into four broad behavioral categories: (1) “moving away behaviors,” which create distance from others through hyper-emotionality, diminished communication, and skepticism that erodes trust; (2) “moving against behaviors,” which overpower and manipulate people while aggrandizing the self; (3) “moving toward behaviors,” which include being ingratiating, overly conforming, and reluctant to take chances or stand up for one’s team; and (4) "no movement behaviors," not overtly misbehaving, nor being a ranting, narcissistic sociopath. Rather it is being a leader in title only having the role of leadership, but providing none. Absentee leadership rarely comes up in today’s leadership or business literature, but research shows that it is the most common form of incompetent leadership. . The popular media is full of examples of bad leaders in government, academia, and business with these characteristics.*

*Not my own work. I don't remember the author, but would gladly give he/she credit for good thoughts.