Thankfully, the human brain does a pretty good job of managing memories by helping us smooth out the bad times and enhance the good.  This seems to work pretty well for a lot of things in life, with one major exception being our memories of lousy leaders that tormented us at some point in our career.

Ask a room full of mid-level managers to talk about great leaders that have supported them and you get a few nice stories.  Ask them for examples of bad leaders and bad leadership practices and you may have to run for high-ground as the trickle of mildly repressed memories turns into a torrent of frightening anecdotes described by individuals with a far-away look in their eyes and a tone tinged with revenge in their voices.

OK, I may be exaggerating a bit on the glazed eyes and revenge stuff, but not a bit on the ease with which people can describe being victimized by bad bosses.  The stories of micromanaging, verbally abusing, backstabbing, credit taking, time wasting and endless pontificating flow freely and are told with gusto.  One story begets another and pretty soon you have a room full of people trying to out do each other with, "you think that's bad, I had a manager that… "  Unfortunately, there's a lot of material for bad boss stories.

I've often imagined inserting an additional section to the manuscript of Dante's Inferno where the poet Virgil and Dante upon journeying through the circles of hell come upon a special place reserved solely for evil managers, probably between Circle 5 and Circle 6.  I'll leave it to your imagination to work out what the appropriate punishment would be in this guaranteed blockbuster of a re-release of this literary classic.  I can see the caption now…Leadership Lessons from the Inferno!  Remember, you heard it here.

If you find yourself embarking on or immersed in a role in leading others, you have a distinct choice to make about the impact you will have on those fortunate or unfortunate enough to serve with you.  You can add to the inventory of "bad boss" stories by focusing on yourself, not understanding what your true role is and doing everything possible to build your career on the backs of others.  Or you can take the much harder, but ultimately more rewarding path of doing the right things all of the time for the people in your care. 

Some suggestions to build a leadership legacy that ensure you don't end up as fodder for more bad boss stories or find you in a conversation with Dante and Virgil during one of their strolls:

  • Get to know the people that work for you.  Your effort to pay attention and show genuine interest is a show of respect for your associates.  Learn names, learn the names of their spouses and children, and pay attention to the pictures and personal mementos on their desks.
  • Listen more than you talk.  Two ears, one mouth…use them in proportion.  Take the time for formal and informal discussions where you ask for input, feedback and ideas.  Bad managers think that they are being paid to generate the best ideas.  Effective leaders understand that their people are the source of the best ideas and they work hard to create forums for those ideas to be uncovered and developed.
  • Dispense credit liberally.  Never ever take credit that belongs to someone else.
  • Ensure that your actions match your words.  We all know that words are cheap.  If you want people to commit to you and your vision, you've got to show that you are committed.  One leader suggested that, "The Say and the Do" have to match.
  • Know when to stay out of the way.  If you've done your job in picking people, creating the right working atmosphere and providing general direction, it's time to get out of the way and let people work. 
  • Everyone respects accountability.   Enforce it fairly, evenly and consistently.  No exceptions.
  • The only finger pointing you should ever do is at yourself.  Back your people, recognize that you are responsible for their results and if the results come up short, it is your fault, not theirs. 
  • Keep your agenda visible.  People sense when someone has a different or personal agenda.  Don't let this be an issue.  Your agenda is your team, your company and achieving goals.

The bottom-line for now:

Every time I feel like we're making some headway on stamping out bad bosses, I run into another group of great professionals that remind me that too many of our managerial experiences are lousy.  Effective managers and leaders are made one person at a time, and every one of us makes a choice every day to do it right or not.  What will your legacy be?