Table of Contents
- The day a design lead lost it.
- 10 toxic leadership traits to avoid
- 1. They make feedback personal, not professional
- 2. They can’t take feedback
- 3. They take credit and assign blame
- 4. They manage through fear
- 5. They pretend to know what they don't
- 6. They micromanage but don't actually lead
- 7. They think titles = talent
- 8. They gossip about their own team
- 9. They push people outside their role, then blame them for failing
- 10. They don't protect their team
- Why good leadership leads to better performance
- What strong leadership looks like in practice:
- Your title means nothing without the work
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The day a design lead lost it.
It was supposed to be a standard 360 review.
The team gave honest feedback. They shared concerns. They highlighted a pattern of behavior that had been quietly eroding morale for months.
"He doesn't listen."
"His feedback is mean."
"He shuts people down."
"He bullies. He doesn't lead."
"He takes credit for our work."
What happened next wasn't leadership. It was damage control, mixed with pure ego.
The design lead called an emergency meeting. He lashed out in front of the team, visibly upset. But not because he wanted to fix things.
He wanted to find out who said what.
He blamed the team for "misunderstanding him." He dismissed the feedback as "political." He never apologized. Never owned up. Never stopped to think.
The room turned cold, then silent. And just like that, the culture broke…
This isn't an isolated story.
Many of us have worked under toxic managers who behave this way. Leaders who lack emotional maturity. Bad bosses who want the title but not the responsibility. People who manage others before they've learned to manage themselves.
We don't talk enough about the emotional cost of working under toxic leadership.
But we should.
Because bad management doesn't just hurt productivity. It destroys trust, creativity, retention, and mental health. Even worse, most toxic leaders are completely unaware of the harm they’re doing.
So let's call it out. Here are 10 of the most damaging traits a boss can have. The kind that turn good employees into ex-employees, and vibrant teams into survival zones.
10 toxic leadership traits to avoid
1. They make feedback personal, not professional
A good boss critiques the work. A toxic boss critiques the person.
Under the guise of "feedback," they weaponize their words. They use tone, timing, or body language to show dominance instead of offering help.
Feedback becomes an ego trip. A chance to feel powerful, not helpful.
Over time, employees learn to avoid sharing anything unless it's perfect. And when that happens, creativity dies.
Perfectionism may sound good on paper. But in a workplace, it's a symptom of fear. When people are afraid of being humiliated, they stop experimenting. They stop trying new things. They stop growing.
2. They can’t take feedback
Some toxic managers ask for feedback on paper. But the moment they get anything less than praise, they shut down or lash out.
This creates a culture of silence. Team members learn that "being honest" has a price. And that price might be their relationship with their boss. Or worse, their future opportunities. Over time, the team stops speaking up. Problems go unfixed. Ideas get watered down. Innovation stalls.
And the bad boss stays clueless, surrounded by people who smile in meetings but vent in private.
3. They take credit and assign blame
Nothing exposes weak leadership faster than selective ownership.
When things go right, they step into the spotlight. When things go wrong, they vanish. Or worse, they point fingers at others.
This toxic behavior creates a team dynamic built on fear and anger. Instead of solving problems, people start hiding them. Instead of working together, they compete to protect themselves.
When team members don't feel safe owning their mistakes, learning stops. And when leaders only show up for the wins, their credibility crashes.
4. They manage through fear
Fear doesn't create accountability. It creates turnover.
Some toxic bosses mistake fear for effectiveness. They think harsh deadlines, public criticism, or constant pressure will "motivate" people to perform.
What it actually creates is burnout, anxiety, and exhaustion.
Fear may work short-term. But it destroys long-term performance. When employees are scared to fail, they stop taking initiative. They default to “safe” work. They become passive, risk-averse, and disengaged.
5. They pretend to know what they don't
Not knowing something isn't the problem. Faking it is.
Some leaders feel the need to appear in control, even when they're not. So instead of admitting they don't know, they use vague language. They dodge questions. They delay decisions with phrases like "Let's circle back" or "Let's take this offline."
This masks insecurity under fake authority. But everyone sees through it.
Strong leaders admit what they don't know. They ask questions. They bring in experts. They see gaps as chances to learn, not threats. And they create a culture of learning, not pretending.
6. They micromanage but don't actually lead
Micromanagers obsess over details but fail to provide real direction.
They demand constant updates. They rewrite people's work. They hover.
But when it comes to strategy, goals, or vision? They disappear.
Micromanagement kills trust. It signals that you don't believe in your team's ability to deliver. And when people feel mistrusted, they stop showing initiative.
Real leadership is about guidance, not control. It's about painting a clear picture of success, then stepping back to let the team get there.
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Check out UX Management Playbook — made for first-time managers building healthier and happier design teams.
7. They think titles = talent
Some leaders believe that their title makes them automatically right. They interrupt. They condescend. They treat junior team members like assistants, not collaborators.
This top-down arrogance kills good ideas before they’re heard. It stifles diverse thinking. It silences creativity.
Other people’s talent doesn’t threaten great leaders. They invite it in. They know that strong teams are built through collaboration, not hierarchy.
8. They gossip about their own team
Instead of addressing issues directly, some toxic managers vent sideways. They gossip about one team member to another. They create drama. They stir the pot.
This behavior isn't just unprofessional. It's destructive.
Gossip undermines trust at every level. Team members feel exposed. Morale drops. People start wondering: What is my boss saying about me when I'm not here?
Strong leaders handle conflict directly, privately, and respectfully. Anything else is cowardice in disguise.
9. They push people outside their role, then blame them for failing
Stretch assignments—tasks that go slightly beyond someone’s role, can help people grow when paired with support and clear expectations. But some toxic managers use them as a shortcut, they expect team members to take on work way beyond their role, then criticize them for not succeeding.
A designer to lead research. A junior to manage stakeholders. A writer to own strategy.
And when it goes wrong? They blame the person, not the system.
This kind of setup burns people out. It creates confusion, stress, and insecurity. Growth should feel like development, not sabotage.
10. They don't protect their team
Perhaps the most heartbreaking failure of all: they don't stand up for their people.
They let executives belittle team members in meetings. They ignore unfair treatment. They stay quiet when someone is being mistreated.
They're so focused on "managing up" that they forget who they're supposed to be leading.
A leader who doesn't advocate for their team isn't a leader. They're a middle manager protecting their image at the cost of others' well-being.
Why good leadership leads to better performance
It's tempting to think of leadership as a soft skill. Something that's "nice to have" but not as important as execution or results.
But that thinking is wrong. Leadership isn't a soft skill. It's a performance multiplier.
Gallup’s 2025 report shows that managers influence 70% of team engagement and their rising disengagement is a key reason global employee engagement dropped to 21%, costing the economy $438 billion.
A great leader creates the conditions for people to do their best work. They build trust, clarity, safety, and ownership. In that environment, people don't just show up. They shine.
What strong leadership looks like in practice:
- They follow through. Words match actions.
- They put the team first. Even when it's hard.
- They listen. Not just to respond, but to understand.
- They control their emotions. They don't dump stress onto their teams.
- They create space for mistakes. Not everything has to be perfect the first time.
- And most importantly, they model the behavior they want to see in others.
A good leader doesn't need to be the smartest person in the room. They just need to be the one who makes others feel smart, seen, and supported.
When that happens, performance follows. Not because people are scared to fail, but because they're inspired to succeed.
Your title means nothing without the work
Leadership isn't about charisma or confidence. It's not about giving powerful speeches or sitting at the head of the table.
Leadership is about showing up for others. Doing the emotional work. Taking ownership. Admitting when you're wrong. And creating a culture where people can thrive, not just survive.
Not everyone is ready for that responsibility.
Some want the perks of power without the price of accountability. They want the title but not the self-awareness, humility, or discipline that real leadership requires.
Your team always knows. They might not say it out loud. But they feel it.
They feel whether they're safe or afraid. Trusted or watched. Heard or dismissed. And those feelings shape everything: from what they create to whether they stay.
So if you hold a leadership role, ask yourself this: Do your people feel respected? Supported? Protected? Or are they just getting through the day?
Because leadership isn't defined by what you say when everyone's watching. It's defined by what you do when no one is.
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