Copyright Forbes
No one sets out to become a “bad” manager, but even the most well-intentioned leaders can develop habits that slowly but surely dim overall performance and drive talented employees away. These behaviors are often subtle at the start, but can build up and erode employee morale over time. For managers, recognizing behaviors that alienate teams rather than inspiring them is the first step toward meaningful change. Below, 17 Forbes Coaches Council members share common red flags of poor management and the positive traits smart leaders cultivate instead. 1. Confusing Motion For Progress Bad managers chase activity instead of accountability—confusing motion for progress. They fill calendars, not pipelines. The fix is focus: Define what truly moves the mission, measure outcomes, not hours, and reward clarity over control. Great managers don’t push harder; they build systems that enable people to think and deliver smarter. - David Ribott, Ribott Partners 2. Communicating Poorly A common trait of a bad manager is poor communication—failing to listen, clarify expectations or provide feedback—which leads to confusion and frustration. Managers who recognize this in themselves can improve by practicing active listening, scheduling regular check-ins and inviting honest feedback from their team. - Brent McHugh, Cherith 3. Being Inconsistent And Unclear One common trait of a bad manager is inconsistency: saying different things to different people, being unclear with expectations and lacking integrity. It creates confusion, breaks trust and pushes good people away. The fix starts with alignment. Say what you mean. Follow through. Lead by example. Trust grows when words and actions match. - Jessica Hill Holm, Hill Holm Coaching & Consulting 4. Lacking Intention To Lead I find one common trait among bad managers to be a lack of intention to lead or manage. Many managers are also doers, and they haven’t yet successfully defined their approach or their intention to lead and manage. So, under stress, they revert to where their confidence comes from, which is being a subject matter expert—and this is where poor management and ineffective leadership are often the consequence. - Michael Brainard, Brainard Strategy Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify? 5. Focusing On Negative Feedback Being overly critical is a common trait. “Bad” managers focus on the 5% that’s wrong and fail to recognize the 95% that’s right. Constant critique, often masked as “feedback,” kills motivation and leaves people feeling “never good enough.” Great leaders flip the script: sharing what’s going right, acknowledging effort, then refining what’s needed. Aim for a 3-to-1 ratio of positive to corrective feedback. - Tracy Kennedy, Kennedy Coaching + Consulting 6. Ignoring Psychological Safety A “bad” manager often ignores a lack of psychological safety, making team members afraid to speak up or take risks. To improve, managers should actively foster a safe environment by encouraging open communication, valuing diverse views and treating mistakes as learning opportunities. This builds trust, boosts engagement and enhances team performance. - Weixi Tan, Workplace Asia 7. Micromanaging And Stifling Growth Micromanaging is at the top of the list. In my engagements, the most unhappy employees are those who are unable to step into their own leadership and don’t have a voice. Leaders who don’t trust their teams create conditions that stifle creativity, innovation and motivation. When we allow our teams to have authority and agency, they deliver stronger results and have a stronger commitment to the business. - Stefanie Ricchio, SRBC Inc. 8. Lacking Humility And Self-Awareness A lack of humility is a common bad trait. When coaching teams, it becomes apparent that there is a divide in culture when a leader feels the need to have every answer. This causes an obstacle for the team members, especially when it comes to stifling creativity and innovation. Leaders who spend time fostering self-awareness and demonstrate vulnerability unlock greatness within their team, and conditions where everyone can contribute to success. - Bryan Powell, Executive Coaching Space 9. Thinking Like A ‘Boss’ Managers who think of themselves as a “boss” will create high turnover and fail to advance, because management is not merely about managing people toward achieving results. It’s also about growing the people who they manage. Remember: A boss knows how many people report to them, while a leader is clear about how many people they serve. - David Taylor-Klaus, MCC, CPCC, DTK Coaching 10. Prioritizing Tasks Over People A common trait of poor managers is prioritizing tasks and goals over their people. Many excel as individual contributors but fail to shift focus when promoted. Neglecting one-on-ones, frequently rescheduling or being consistently unavailable signals misalignment. To improve, managers must intentionally prioritize team connection and support. - Steve Walsh, Exceptional Transformations LLC 11. Not Showing Empathy Or Respect A bad manager is one who does not have empathy for their employees. A manager needs to be consistent, but an employee wants to feel as if their manager respects them and treats them with integrity. - John Cleveland 12. Focusing Only On ‘Managing Up’ “Managing up”—focusing only on relationships with senior leaders while neglecting direct reports—is one of the most common and damaging workplace habits. It can mislead executives into thinking a manager is performing well, even as their team grows disengaged. Strong leaders manage in all directions, building trust both above and below. - Emily Kapit, MS, MRW, ACRW, CPRW, ReFresh Your Step, LLC 13. Failing To Build Connections One of the biggest mistakes managers make is leading without connection. When everything becomes transactional—delegating, correcting, moving fast—trust erodes. Great managers pause long enough to listen, show curiosity and understand their people. Trust isn’t about control; it’s about consistency, empathy and showing up when it matters most. - Cheri Rainey, Rainey Leadership Learning 14. Managing From A Place Of Fear Managing from a position of fear is an issue. Fear focuses on not failing rather than on succeeding. This negatively impacts people, processes, products and services, robbing everything and everyone of their potential. Replacing fear with a positive mindset, solid planning and preparation, and thoughtful risk-taking always leads to far better results all around! - William E. “Bill” Kieffer, Kieffer & Associates 15. Tolerating Underperformance One common issue is tolerating poor performance. Not dealing with non-performers reflects on the manager, whose lack of urgency or visible action demotivates and creates a poor example of how to show up and what standards of work to uphold. Developing managerial courage to deal with issues in a mature and constructive manner is not fun, but a must. - Edyta Pacuk, MarchFifteen Consulting Inc. 16. Being Distracted And Not Fully Present A common trait of bad managers (and leaders) is the inability to be truly present. Everyone is busy today, yet giving your complete attention to the person or people in front of you is incredibly powerful. Truly listening (not preparing your response), removing all distractions and looking someone in the eye as they speak is so empowering and supports engagement—yes, it takes a lot of practice! - Lisa Walsh, Beacon Executive Coaching 17. Treating People Like Processes
