Key points:
- Keep an open mind about new leaders and novel styles of management
- Cultivating civility on campus in a bombastic election cycle
- How to identify the leaders you might be missing
- For more news about higher-ed leaders, see eCN’s Campus Leadership hub
Spooky season is upon us. Amid the pumpkin carving and candy collection lurk specters embodying our worst fears. Halloween is an annual exploration of all that troubles us. Most of us pack it up before Thanksgiving, but some unfortunate souls experience the Sunday Scaries every week.
Horrible leaders haunt an organization year-round. If you listen, you’ll hear the collective groaning. Their effects make staff miserable and rip budgets and strategic plans to shreds. If these frightening leadership styles seem familiar, you may be stuck with one:
The Two-Faced Tyrant
Strong vision is critical in a leadership role. But when an improbable vision pairs with ambition runs amok, even the best team will suffer. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1885 tale, Dr. Jekyll created his monstrous alter-ego Mr. Hyde in pursuit of an unlikely goal. The creature violently rampaged throughout the streets of London. A leader whose vision fails should assess and pivot, but this horrible leadership type turns to cruelly scapegoating staff. They belittle and criticize their team. In the long-term, this behavior is corrosive to your career and well-being.
Jekyll tried to control Hyde. Eventually, he was overpowered by his own dark side. When facing a highly unpredictable boss with a mean streak, remember that you are not the problem. Personally keep track of your successes, even if you are not looking for other work. Catalog praise from others. You’ll need to maintain confidence in your value and be ready to demonstrate it under attack. If consistency is an issue, get the details of requests in writing. If you receive instructions by phone or in person, send a follow-up email describing what you were told and your next steps. Incremental doses of these elixirs should help you fend off the worst.
The Vampire Who Drains You Dry
Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel sported sharp teeth and extreme pallor, but you will have to work harder to spot a vampire in the workplace. All charm and smiles at first, their charisma wins people over easily. What follows are long hours and late nights that suck the life-force out of their team. Like the vampire’s prey, those infected by their mindset perpetuate the same unhealthy work culture. Whether they are hungry for the results of an overworked team, or simply enjoy making you squirm, garlic and stakes will not protect you from this horrible leader.
As in Transylvanian folklore, the best defense is to not invite the vampire in. Maintain strong boundaries around your time and efforts. Talk to your manager when tasks fall outside of your job description. You can cooperate in a manner that recognizes your efforts. It can be challenging to ignore emails outside of work hours. Put another nail in the coffin by not responding until the next morning, even if you have read a message. Using the “delay delivery” email function is a silver bullet for this gruesome habit!
The Elusive Ghost
Cryptic messages, murmurs of their intent, and ominous hints of their return are hallmarks of the absent leader. Ghosts are said to have “unfinished business” with the living, but this ghost halts business itself as critical projects suffer from their silence. Leaders must be visible and provide consistent messaging. In their absence, we scrutinize mere traces for their meaning. Differing interpretations of minimalist messages can sow division among even the best-intentioned workforce. And when it’s been too long, an unexpected visitation from the leader causes shock and panic.
If the leader’s vanishing act is new, wait it out. There may be strategy changes underway that will soon be explained, or a personal or health issue. For ongoing problems, you have two options. If you don’t directly report to the horrible leader, but their behavior is thwarting your efforts, work with your manager to problem solve. Set actionable goals for the short-term, even if the future is unclear. If the ghost is your supervisor, start looking for other opportunities within the organization or elsewhere. And don’t count on them for a reference!
Sound familiar? If you’ve survived an encounter with one of these horrible leaders and lived to tell the tale, don’t let the memory haunt you. Keep an open mind about new leaders and novel styles of management.
Rising leaders should take these cautionary tales to heart. These traits can crop up while your eyes are on the prize. Maintain positive communication and keep the well-being of your staff in mind. Don’t become the villain of the story.
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