Negative Leadership Behaviors
A leader’s behavior is an authoritative demonstration of mannerisms that bear the prospects and standards of an organization and establish the organizational climate (Grojean et al., 2004).Leadership behaviors are either task or relations oriented. Task-oriented leaders gear to reaching organization goals. A leader who displays task-oriented behaviors explains staff roles and objectives, monitors individual performance and actions as well as set short-term goals (Yukl, O’Donnell)
Relations-oriented leadership behaviors dwell with developing close, trustworthy relations with staff (Holloway, 2012). A relations-oriented leader displays supportive, developmental and approval behaviors (Holloway, 2012). Behaviors that indicate a leader supports his employers are showing acceptance, being concerned and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. A display of developmental behaviors is seen when a leader provides probable welfare to supervisors, peers, subordinates or colleagues new to an organization. Approval mannerisms are illustrated through compliments and gratitude for effective performances, achievements and imperative assistance to an organization (Holloway, 2012).When a leader fails to possess the task or relation oriented leadership, the leader is considered to have negative leadership behavior. Leaders who display negative behaviors are incompetent, inflexible, intemperate, insensitive, fraudulent, blinkered or evil (Kellerman, 2004)
EXPERIENCE
In 2009, I joined a community based organization comprising of members from my community volunteering to assist teenagers live positively. The organization was started by six couples. The purpose of the organization was to guide teenagers on life issues like employment, relationship, dressing and communal living as well as sensitize the teenagers on the challenges and risks associated with being a teenager. According to the organizations policy, membership was free and so were the services. The organization operations relied on sacrifice from parents and teenagers. On each meeting, one or maximum two of the committee parents were assigned to perform the duties to educate and train .it was mandatory that all Sunday afternoons, the committee members would confine in one of the homes and analyze the progress of the organization as well as possible improvements. With time, word spread and the organization nurtured to a point where teenagers outside our community enrolled for the project. However, this positive progress did not last long. Concerned persons commenced raising concerns on negative behaviors among the organization leaders.
First, a committee couple accused a fellow committee member of being unwilling to adjust to new ideas and developments. There were complaints that a male committee member was having a sexual relationship with girl member. One leader was accused of being offensive and harsh to the teenagers. According to the sources he was fond of humiliating teenage members and was not concerned with their welfare. He only claimed to be part of the organization because his wife dragged him into it. This same leader was accused of posing as the organization’s treasurer and used the title to charge new uniformed families for the services. When investigations were conducted, all these accusations were confirmed true. Unfortunately, it was too late for the organization to recover as it had collapsed due to bad image.
ANALYSIS
The leadership traits mentioned in the experience segment above are negative leadership traits which steered the downfall of the organization. Leaders were corrupt, intemperate, callous, corrupt, rigid and insular. Corruption is displayed where a leader lied to be the treasurer in order to extort money from the newly joining families. By posing as a treasurer, he lied. By extorting money from the unknowing families, he cheated. He was dishonest to both the family and the organization. A corrupt leader is one who cheats, lies or steals (Kellerman, 2004).This is a negative leadership trait because leaders should place public interest prior to private interests. Corruption leads to mistrust among followers.
Rigidity is displayed where some leaders declined to adapt new ideas. A rigid leader is one who is reluctant to adapt to fresh information, changing times or new notions (Kellerman, 2004).Rigidity is a negative leadership trait because it deters development yet a good leader is supposed to initiate and perpetuate development. Without development, organizations cannot grow or adapt to external factors not within their control. This way the organization will always be a victim of such factors. An organization whose growth is stagnant cannot achieve its goals.
Intemperance is displayed when a male leader had sexual relationships with a female teenager. An intemperate leader falls short of self-control (Kellerman, 2004).As a leader; one should always be an example to followers. It was bad enough for the leader to educate the disadvantage of teenage sex but still have intercourse with a teenager. Such a leader is no role model. Intemperance is a negative leadership trait as it misleads the followers who are susceptible to emulate their leader’s actions. The objectives of an organization cannot be achieved if both the leaders and followers are behaving unethically.
Callous leadership was displayed when a leader criticized the teenage group members. This was ill and insensible. It is easy to conclude from the critics words “I am here because my wife dragged me into this” that the welfare of the teenagers was not of his concern. This was an insular leader. A callous leader is unkind and uncaring (Kellerman, 2004). The leader under limelight did not care for the teenagers’. A leader who is callous displays negative leadership trait. This is so because by being insensitive and hostile leaders show no support to follower who in turn loose moral and reduce productivity. A good leader should support, appreciate and care for his follower’s welfare failure to which the followers will lose interest and trust in their leadership, collapsing an organization. This leader was also insular. An insular leader degrades the welfare of others (Kellerman, 2004). A perfect example is that of Bill Clinton ignoring the Rwanda genocide or George Bush failing to intervene when summoned to help sojourn the Liberian massacre (Kellerman, 2004).
Summarily, it is recommendable that leaders strengthen their leadership. This is possible if leaders embrace ethics. An ethical leader puts public interest before personal interest. Leaders should incorporate positive character traits in work such as courage, patience and time consciousness. In addition, should be committed to their duties and impose interest for common good. In addition, leaders should support and listen to their followers, be good role models, be honest and perform their tasks with utmost efficiency.
References
Grojean, M. W., Resick, C. J., Dickson, M. W., & Smith, D. B. (2004). Leaders, values, and organizational climate: Examining leadership strategies for establishing an organizational climate regarding ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 55(1), 223-241.
Holloway .J.B (2012) Leadership Behavior and Organizational Climate: An Empirical Study in a Non-profit organization. Retrieved November 25, 2012 from http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/elj/vol5iss1/ELJ_Vol5No1_Holloway_pp9-35.pdfKellerman, B. (2004) Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters Leadership for the Common Good Series. Boston: Harvard Business Press
Yukl, G., O’Donnell, M., & Taber, T. (2009). Influence of leader behaviors on the leader member exchange relationship. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24(4), 289-299.
