“People join the company but leave the boss.” We often hear this said. People accept a job opportunity for the possibilities that they see in the industry and the particular company. Then they leave the company because of the behavior of the boss to whom they report.

People might be disappointed or disillusioned in a boss that plays favorites or participates in cliques. They may view a boss as incompetent or not feel that they are able to mentor or provide support and development. But the greatest motivation for fleeing is a toxic boss, one who makes the job environment intolerable.

Too often the toxic boss doesn’t even realize that he/she is considered to be one; they don’t recognize the behaviors that define them as toxic because these behaviors are so deeply ingrained. Here are some clues to help you examine whether you are, in fact, that toxic boss that people complain about and want to escape:

• Do you think that volume is more important than vision? A toxic boss seeks to overpower team members by shouting rather than presenting a rational position that can win followers.
• Do you react in anger rather than seeking to understand? A toxic boss’ first reaction is often anger so as to squelch any other opinion. Anger is often an outcome of a self-centered perspective.
• Are you quick to blame others for failures rather than admitting your part first? A toxic boss cannot admit their own failures and faults, so they must place the blame on others.
• Do you look for opportunities to claim credit for yourself rather than passing it on to others? Toxic bosses only care about themselves and have difficulty in seeing or acknowledging the contributions of others.
• Do you see the negative and miss the positive? A toxic boss will focus on the negative, describing only the potential downsides of a suggestion or an action while failing to consider the upside.
• Do you intentionally withhold information or seek to empower others? A toxic boss sees information as power and is greedy about controlling the balance.
• Do you make destructive comments or seek to build up and encourage others? A toxic boss is quick with sarcasm or cutting remarks in an effort to tear others down and show themselves to be witty or more intelligent.
• Are you quick to pass judgment or do you have an open mind? A toxic boss has difficulty accepting ideas from others, thinking that others cannot have answers that are better than the boss’.
• Do you avoid receiving feedback or seek it? A toxic boss has a high opinion of themselves and places low value on input from others.
• Do you bully or harass others or treat them with respect? A toxic boss feels a need to tear others down or verbally beat others up as a means to build themselves up.
• Do you value your reputation higher than truth? A toxic boss can be quick to lie in order to save face or build their position.

These behaviors of a toxic boss are often the result of serious character flaws in a person. For example, many of these behaviors are an effort to tear other people down as a means of compensating for a poor self-image. The bluster is a weak attempt to hide the internal fear.

If you recognize yourself in several of these comparisons, it may be helpful to do some deeper soul searching or seek input from others. Toxic bosses drive people away, especially the most capable people who are ready and able to think for themselves. If you find that you fall into the mold of a toxic boss, you may want to begin work on driving out these behaviors and building a stronger, more positive character.

Are you one of those toxic bosses? How would the members of your team describe you?