27 Traits of a Great Boss vs. a Terrible Manager

And how to spot the difference

1. A great boss is like a star:

   Shining the spotlight on the talents and achievements of their team.

   • Bad managers are like a black hole.

     Hogging all the attention and recognition for themselves.

2. A great boss is like a teacher:

   Helping their team learn and grow.

   • Bad managers are like stubborn students. They don’t appreciate new perspectives.

3. A great boss is like a sponge:

   Absorbing information and perspectives before forming a viewpoint.

   • Bad managers are like a closed book.

     Pretending to be open-minded but unwilling to listen to others' opinions.

4. A great boss encourages creativity and innovation.

   Bad managers don't let you be creative and come up with new ideas.

5. A great boss is like a team player:

   Attributing every success to their team and taking the blame for failures.

   • Bad managers are like lone wolves.

     Taking personal credit and finding ways to blame others when things go wrong.

6. A great boss is adaptable and open to change

   • Bad managers resist change and cling to outdated ways of doing things.

7. A great boss is like a coach:

   Hiring people who are much smarter and more skilled than they are to create a winning team.

   • Bad managers are like a player-coach, wanting to be the best and smartest person on the team.

8. A great boss recognizes and rewards hard work

   Bad managers take credit for the work of others.

9. A great boss is like a general:

   Identifying internal candidates to replace themselves and ensure the company's success.

   • Bad managers are like a dictator.

     Living in fear of their replacement and making it difficult for the company to find a successor.

10. A great boss is like a timekeeper:

    Taking care to plan their calendars in ways that allow for time with their team.

    • Bad managers are like a procrastinator.

      Never looking ahead and always catching up, stressed out, and with no time to listen to others.

11. A great boss is like a responsible adult:

    Always apologizing if they made a mistake and taking accountability for their actions.

    • Bad managers are like a child, throwing others under the bus to save their own a$$ :)

12. A great boss knows how to communicate and listen to feedback

    Bad managers are