Listed below are ten Poor Leadership Characteristics to be aware of that will not impress anyone. These poor leadership qualities are not ideal in any work situation regardless of the profession.

Being considered a highly professional educator means that you are able to lead both in and out of the classroom. Not only do children look up to you, but so do parents and other adults. However, not every teacher is a leader, and if you have spent time around educators, you are probably well aware of that fact.

Passing the Buck

You have to give some credit to Captain Edward Smith, the skipper of the Titanic. He felt the sinking was his mistake and he went down with the ship. I used to have an administrator that would try his best to avoid making any decisions. When he finally did make a decision and it didn’t go well, he would try to shove the blame off on somebody else or hide in his office for the next week. This is why passing the buck is one of the top ten poor Leadership Characteristics to be aware of.

Inability to Work Well with Others

There is a reason group work is done in the classroom. It is designed to help students work well with others. However, there are educators and other people in leadership positions that must have been absent on these group work days. If you can’t listen to what other people are saying with an open mind, you should not be leading.

Absent

First rule of being a leader is that you have to be present to be accounted for. If you aren’t there to lead your troops, then you are more likely leading them into failure. You have to spend the time with those under your power to guide them correctly.

Not Holding Themselves Accountable

There is nothing more frustrating as a sports fan when your favorite team loses year after year under the poor leadership. I realize those in upper management want to keep their high paying jobs, but after failing for so long, you have to hold yourself accountable.

Nobody Likes a Know It All

You may be the brightest person in the room, but if you can’t listen to other opinions, then you will come off poorly to others. There is always more than one way to solve a problem, so if someone is thinking something differently than you, just take a listen and hear them out. You may be surprised to find out their way is actually better.

Lack of Focus

Michael Scott in the television show The Office often has a hard time focusing on the task at hand. He makes up for it in his lovable way, but you are not Michael Scott. If you can’t focus long enough on what needs to be done, you should step down and offer the leadership position to somebody who can.

Playing It Safe

Successful leaders are supposed to be courageous (Think Optimus Prime in The Transformers). They don’t try their best not to fail. They try their best to succeed. If this requires making some risky decisions, then congratulations. Being a leader should not easy.

Lack of Sympathy for Others

How many of you feel guilty when you have to call into work in the morning because you are sick? This should not be the case. If your leader is not able to show sympathy and empathy for other people’s situations, then it is tough to get excited about working hard for that person.

Instigating Negative Gossip

There is always going to be negative gossip involved in every workplace. It does not matter if you are teaching at a school or washing dishes at the local restaurant. However, leaders should not be participating in or condoning this behavior. Gossip is always fun to hear when it doesn’t concern you, but just remember what goes around comes around.

Not Thinking Fast on Your Feet

Depending on every situation, a good leader should have a backup plan to fall back on. It is easy to point out what is not working. But to be a true leader, you have to determine what is not working right and have a strategy to fix it. If you can’t think fast on your feet, then you have poor leadership characteristics and eventually you are going to get knocked down on your bottom.