Three types of bosses that should be fired

Horrible Bosses / Warner Bros.

COMMENTARY. I've had the opportunity to work with hundreds, maybe thousands of brilliant people over a 30-year career in high-tech. Unfortunately, that's not really saying much, since just about any CEO, executive, or entrepreneur you're likely to come across has the smarts to do the job.

When it comes to management ability and leadership qualities, however, bosses tend to follow a pretty standard bell shaped curve: consistently successful managers at one narrow end, remarkably ineffective ones at the other end, and everyone else in between.

After all the years, experiences, and observations, I've got a pretty good handle on what it takes to be a great manager and what kind of behavior will tend to land an executive at one end of the bell curve or the other.

More on: 10 things great managers do
More on: 10 things great managers should never do

And while one size manager does not fit all situations, I have been able to identify, with relative certainty, three types of managers who shouldn't be running anything, let alone an organization or a company. Not only will they fail, they'll take the whole organization and everyone in it down with them.

If you don't believe me, check it out. I bet you can fit just about any executive who has failed big-time into one of these three categories. Incidentally, if your boss fits one, better get on LinkedIn and update your resume. And if you fit one, what can I say, you're in deep you-know-what.

Here are three types of bosses that should be fired, and sooner rather than later:

The smartest guy in the room

This is the guy who has all the answers and can never, ever be wrong. He doesn't just breathe his own fumes or drink his own Kool-Aid, he makes and mass-markets it, as well. He wants everyone to agree with his grandiose vision of how things should be and makes sure of that by surrounding himself with yes-men and women and ruthlessly beating down dissenting views.

The reason these people fail is they're blinded by the power of their own vision and therefore lack objectivity. They tend to be rigid and inflexible in their thinking and unwilling to see what's really happening until it's too late. Unfortunately, markets don't behave according to anyone's plan. They're populated by competitors and customers with free will and have a funny way of determining their own outcome.

It's all about me

Some people never grow up but get stuck in one phase or another of human development. They look just like normal adults, but inside, they're petulant, narcissistic children with oversized egos. Since their overriding goal is to get attention, to be adulated and worshipped by all, they're often charismatic and charming, almost chameleon-like in the way they appeal to all sorts of constituents. And their positions and strategies can flip and flop from one day to the next based on one data point, meeting, or conversation.

While a healthy ego is necessary and good for leaders, business isn't really about any particular individual. It's about meeting customer needs, achieving long-term growth and success for shareholders and employees, and being passionate about your products and services. People who think free market capitalism is about selfish greed couldn't be more wrong. Every company, board, CEO, executive team, serves its stakeholders and constituents. If it doesn't, it'll fail.

The has-been

We may as well call him by his name, Peter, because this person is more or less defined by the Peter Principle. Peter was once effective and successful; at least it appeared that way. But the situation had a narrow set of boundaries and variables and now, things have changed and Peter is out of his depth, beyond his level of competency.

Perhaps he was promoted, the company grew, the market changed, or he's now in a new position in a new company. Regardless of the circumstances, Peter is no longer effective and his inability to see or believe it renders him toxic to the organization. For whatever reason, Peter lacks the ability to grow, scale, or adapt. And since he's still in a position of power and authority, he's not just an old relic, but a heavy anchor around the company's neck.

Those are the top three types of bosses I think should be fired. Got one to add to the list?

[SamMoyers]

Steve - I have great respect for your thoughts and wisdom. Ironic that the first two types descriptions describe our president as well who uses capitalism and free-markets as the enemy and then wonders why the economy doesn't respond positively

[Puzby]

Did anybody else recognize one particular individual who fit all three of these categories? We must replace this man.

[IATSH]

I have two examples, and they'd probably be avoided if small businesses had the luxury of HR departments, but they wreck many a SB.

"The Charmer" -- The incompetent boss who got his job by being really charming during the interview process. I've run into this boss many-a-time in the service industry and he's/she's probably the root reason restaurants fail. A charmer can run a successful business into the ground in about 3 months. I've seen it happen with both Front & Back of the house managers.

"The Neoptite" -- The incompetent boss who owes his position of authority to Nepotism or other corruption. This one is especially common in family-run small businesses, especially second & third generation family-run small businesses, but it is not limited to small businesses alone. Any family-run business is susceptible. Good luck working for a Neoptite. Make him look foolish once and you're outa-there!

[mcgrat2003]

I think "The Liar" is one of the worst types. You can think everything is fine until he/she calls you into the office and then you are escorted to the door by security. He/she lies about the smallest of things weaving a tale that is unnecessary and counter-productive to the business just to avoid taking blame.

[ethicos]

Good points ST - I have met them all.

I would add two more: any boss/manager who cannot explain to you why the Peter Principle is true; and any boss/manager who has not given away more copies of Robert Townsend's "Up The Organisation" or "Further Up The Organisation" than he/she currently owns...

[credibility2]

I've worked for too many bosses that only cared about themselves and constantly blamed everyone else for their mistakes and shortcomings. They were also a bunch of ingrates and never appreciated anything their staff did.

[bonnieelsey]

AMEN!

[Lead2XL]

Good article, but we are all trying to differentiate ourselves by scoring goals with our great ideas, hence why sports metaphors are so popular in business. That's how politicians try to get elected: by claiming to have better solutions to today's problems than anyone else.

However, I totally agree that this is a bad habit for managers who should operate more as catalysts and facilitators placing more emphasis on engaging, coaching and developing others than on being solution generators. Everyone wants to be a hero, but this drive becomes counterproductive in managers. We won't change this by slapping some managers on the wrist, however. We need to change the culture that rewards goal-scoring over a more engaging style of working. See my article "Cultures of Disengagement" for more on this theme: http://www.lead2xl.com/cultures-of-disengagement.html

[rmccann99]

I have to agree with the article and some of the comments. My former company was run by a psycho, so I would add that to the list. Although how do you avoid the psycho? I have run across too many bosses that would not take responsibility for the "culture". I've heard too many times "well what can I do?...sigh..." What? Your the boss! Lead! Change the culture!

[[e-mail]]

There is a boss that I think should be fired as well...it's the "Kiss Up, Kick Down" boss. This is the person who is the "yes-man" to higher leadership in the organization and then is the ruthless dictator to subordinates.

I also like to call this boss the "Sheep in Wolves Clothing" because they act like the big bad wolf to their team but they are really sheep to upper management.

The main problem here...is it's an integrity issue. People that are inconsistent in their behaviors don't portray trustworthiness, and create dissonance in the organization.

[dtpnola]

Don't forget the - Avoid Confrontation at All Costs.

I've seen managers avoid problems until they explode in their faces and there is no way to reconcile anything.