In preparation for the 2014 Leadercast, licensees across the country were provided with some compelling information.

Maeghan Ouimet, Inc. Magazine warns that, “Terrible bosses have a trickle down effect. They bring down the quality of your employees’ work and your bottom line with it.”

From a survey conducted through several national organizations, including the Society of Human Resource Professionals, APA.org and Boss Study, conducted with 30,000 managers across the country, these startling statistics were discovered:

• Three out of four employees report their boss is the worst and most stressful part of their job.

• 65% of employees say they’d take a new boss over a pay raise.

• 50% of employees who don’t feel valued by their boss plan to look for another job in the next year.

• 22 months is the average time it takes an employee to shake off the stress and anxiety caused by a terrible boss.

• Workers that have bad relationships with their bosses are 30% more likely to have coronary disease.

• Real cost of bad bosses is more than $360 billion in lost productivity.

Tolerating Bad Bosses

In a recent Leadership Assessment conducted through the Institute for Productive Tension, participants ranked a series of 10 essential leadership skills. Findings from that survey will be forthcoming. But the part relevant to this article is a text question where respondents were asked to complete this sentence:

“I’d love to tell my boss . . .”

Surprisingly, only about one half of the total population responded and here are some of the highlights from their answers grouped by similarities:

…his/her expectations are unrealistic. We don’t have enough resources…he doesn’t get it. I’d love for him to walk a mile in my shoes and then, he could more easily understand our issues…just because you ‘created a new method or system,’ doesn’t always mean it’s doable… If you wish for employees to respect the company and management, you should also learn to value your employees.

…take the TIME to improve our business…stop being so reactive… please inform me more about what's going on in the company at large around us. I feel like we're living in a bubble. I need more information about more than just our department… I’d love to sit in on the management meetings to hear what’s really said… stop saying 'Yes' at meetings with key leaders to keep them happy without understanding the repercussions and damage to the overall program this causes…

…I’m leaving. Enough is enough… take your papers and stuff them …I am a human being with a heart and a soul. When will you start treating me like one? ...I can’t wait to say, “good-bye.”

…I want to be challenged more…really give me more work. Don’t give it to me and then peer over my shoulder the whole time… push me. It will help us both…

Other statistics from the “Value of Bosses Study” indicate that:

• 30% slow down or purposefully make errors

• 29% took time off when not ill

• 27% purposefully hide from their bosses

Working with Great Bosses

The comments weren’t all bad. Some sang high praises for their immediate supervisors. Some offered guidance. From the horses’ mouth:

… How exceptional his sensitive yet God-led leadership is… Team is a good thing in our department… That she's the best and i'm glad she hired me and i wish her boss would appreciate her more…that I appreciate he believes in me…

Yet, even with great bosses, those that have a vision and awaken the desire in others to follow, those that turn people into great leaders when they leave the room, those that are selfish in accepting blame and selfless when sharing congratulations, even there, discord is sometimes present. Surprisingly the bosses’ document found:

• 6% slow down or purposefully make errors

• 5% took sick time when not sick

• 4% purposefully hide from their bosses

The question is then begged, are these the best employees working within the organization and how can you determine who they are? If others are aware of who is making the errors and who is hiding and it is tolerated, it spreads dissent.

How to Determine IF You are a Great Boss?

You care, would be one indicator. You don’t “use” your title or position, but listen to others on your team for advice. You take time.

As Coach Mike Krzyzewski states in The Gold Standard: Building a World Class Team great leaders take time to do the following: pick your people; understand context; gain perspective; form relationships; develop support systems; establish standards; cultivate leadership; learn the language; adapt internally; practice and take the time for self-assessment. Finally, he offers take the time to get-motivated.

There are a handful of questions you could ask yourself, OR, if you are really serious about being a great leader, ask others on your team to answer.

• Do I fail to inspire?

• Do I accept mediocrity?

• Do I lack CLEAR vision and direction?

• Am I unable to collaborate and be a team player?

• Do I fail to walk the talk?

If the answers you discover are “yes,” your half-way there to improving. The first step to becoming a better leader is self-awareness.

Kayte Connelly, Best Principled Solutions LLC, is an award-winning author, leadership coach, and organizational development consultant specializing in personal, professional and community leadership. She facilitates corporate retreats and conversations with dissimilar parties and helps individuals and organizations identify and eliminate what stands between themselves and their goals. We provide enriched customized services that are designed to create and sustain generations of leaders for our community and elsewhere, based on research and global development. Please “like” us at www.facebook.com/BestPrincipledSolutions. Call 484.769.2327 for more information on how your company could become more collaborative, flexible, imaginative, and innovative and/or to discover your leadership “edge.”