Brilliant messages from the late physician and writer
A boss who lies is without question untrustworthy and toxic. It's a really bad foundation for a productive and healthy professional relationship.
You’ll rarely get recognition for your work or helpful advice on how to improve. A toxic boss may only come to you with feedback when you make a mistake.
This is the opposite of micromanaging. They have no idea what you're working on, and they don't care about any effort made by you and your fellow employees.
Your boss is always right and refuses to hear other opinions. They also promote people who validate their opinions, and demote people who challenge them.
Some toxic bosses will never say "no" to your face. Instead, they'll listen to your ideas but put them to the side, or implement them in a poor way to provoke failure.
They never take responsibility for their mistakes, and they're quick to blame others. They are also likely to throw others under the bus and insist that they're right.
A big warning sign is if your boss is making you feel like your abilities and accomplishments aren't important or even the result of your actions. It's a mechanism to keep you feeling low and control your self-esteem.
Pay attention if your boss shares gossip about others, because they are most likely spreading rumors about you, too, which is super toxic to a work environment.
They aren’t interested in hearing other people’s opinions and cut you off when you try to speak. They might even block you from joining cross-functional meetings.
One toxic sign is when a boss will suddenly reassign your project to another colleague without any explanation. It might feel like the rug was pulled out from under you. But know that you do deserve an explanation.
They have a clear favorite with advantages, such as access to resources or benefits that are not made available to others. And it's not based on performance.
A healthy boss knows that different types of personalities can improve their team. But a toxic one will only like people who are similar to them.
A toxic boss may not respect that your working hours are done or that you have taken a long weekend off. To deal with this kind of behavior, you need to set boundaries early on.
If your boss is keeping you at work overtime, then that's a big warning sign. They're crossing a line and disregarding your existence as a human being.
A toxic boss may pit one team member against the other to create unhealthy competition, and to destroy healthy feelings of camaraderie.
A toxic boss will assign you a project and watch over your every step. They don’t allow you to think on your own or take any action independently.
A toxic superior is guided by their own self-interest. They break the rules for their own personal gain and don't follow general work principles that are expected in a professional setting.
They spend a lot of time managing their employees, but they have no time or interest in mentoring them. Conversations about the future or career development are rare.
If your boss is making you feel like you're crazy by changing details about what they said or what you've accomplished to control you, then they're gaslighting you. This is an extremely toxic situation that can have a negative impact on your mental and emotional health.
There's nothing more demoralizing and humiliating than having your boss say something demeaning about you in front of your colleagues. It just shows a great lack of respect and professionalism.
One telltale sign of a toxic boss is passive-aggressiveness. It's extremely unpleasant and frustrating to receive hostile comments from a superior.
Toxic bosses may take credit for your work on an important project that gets good results. They will present it as their own, often leaving you out of the picture.
Inappropriate comments or gestures, like rolling their eyes when you speak, may occur. Toxic bosses may even demonstrate gender bias and other forms of prejudice.
If your boss is constantly using "I" in association with success, then that's a sign of a toxicity. These kinds of people love to be at the center of attention.
If someone is scared of their boss, then they'll probably not speak up. And when they try to do so, they might get shut down, which creates a cold silence when the boss talks. This is an indication that not everyone's ideas are heard.
Sources: (Insider) (Forbes) (Metro)
See also: How to be more confident at work
If your boss is making you feel fearful about your place in the company or your ability to meet goals, then they may be using fear as a control mechanism. Healthy leaders use motivation, not fear.
Healthy leaders are stable and interact professionally with their employees, so if your boss is friendly one minute and throwing a temper tantrum the next, then that's a big warning sign.
Toxic bosses will use any means to have control over others. They know your emotional triggers and will use these against you with unpleasant comments and manipulation.
You're definitely in a toxic situation if your boss is always cracking unpleasant jokes, even in a 'nice' way. It's a lack of respect and professionalism towards you.
Are you terrified of going to work because your boss makes your life miserable? Then you're probably working for a toxic boss. This can be an extremely stressful situation that has proven to lead to many health problems, both mental and physical. It might be their poor leadership that manifests in subtle ways, or that the workplace has normalized their behavior. Either way, the first step to dealing with it is to note your boss' toxic traits. Only then can you take action to avoid, stop, and/or warn someone about it.
If this is touching a nerve for you, read on to find out if you have a toxic boss.
Signs you have a toxic boss
Your boss might be fueling your unhappiness
LIFESTYLE Work
Are you terrified of going to work because your boss makes your life miserable? Then you're probably working for a toxic boss. This can be an extremely stressful situation that has proven to lead to many health problems, both mental and physical. It might be their poor leadership that manifests in subtle ways, or that the workplace has normalized their behavior. Either way, the first step to dealing with it is to note your boss' toxic traits. Only then can you take action to avoid, stop, and/or warn someone about it.
If this is touching a nerve for you, read on to find out if you have a toxic boss.