The Great Cancellation – Shining the Spotlight on Great and Bad Bosses

I have spoken at length about ‘The Great Resignation’ and what it means for employees and employers across Australia. While many believe that Australia will follow in the footsteps of the U.S and see millions of people quit their jobs, I wholeheartedly disagree with that sentiment. But we are now seeing another ‘Great’ trend on the social media horizon that I can get on board with – and it does my head in. We are over stories of Poor Leadership and Bad Bosses. Are you?

“The Great Cancellation” is targeting bad bosses in some Australian workplaces and holding them to account. In every workplace you get people from all walks of life coming and going through the door. You may have coworkers, colleagues or business partners whose views you may not agree with. Or an office desk may who doesn’t know how to share the office resources and keeps taking your lunch. Or a colleague who is bullying or harassing you.

In these workplaces you can also get some bosses that you just don’t see eye to eye with. There is a huge difference between a great leader who empowers you to do your best and a bad boss who rules with fear and an iron fist. I’ve seen my fair share of good bosses and bad bosses, and I have heard many stories of bad bosses who have destroyed careers and are generally unpleasant to work with.

“Having a bad boss isn’t your fault. Staying with one is.” — Nora Denzel

I think the bad bosses should be held accountable because every single person deserves to feel appreciated and safe in their workplace. Who knows, maybe “The Great Cancellation” will change some bad bosses with bad habits for the better.

So, what’s the different between a good leader or a bad boss?

A bad boss:

• Ignores their employees until there is a problem
• Is focused on blaming rather than supporting an employee
• Has little to no respect for their employees
• Belittles, bullies, harasses or intimates people
• Allows other people to bully employees until they have no choice but to quit.
• Fails to protect employees from situations like harassment
• Has lack of empathy
• Expects employees to read minds rather than communicate
• Speaks rudely or swears at employees
• Expects employees to burn themselves out

Every boss is different, your boss may have some bad traits you may not even recognise yet until you read the above list. At the end of the day, you deserve to work somewhere where you are appreciated and rewarded for doing fantastic work.

We’ve covered bad bosses, so what are the traits of good leaders?

A good leader:

• Genuinely cares about their staff and gets to know them
• Leads by example
• Has an open-door policy where staff can confide in them
• Is kind, friendly and supportive
• Has no problem communicating their needs
• Is a team player
• Is honest and empowers you to do your best every day
• Recognises the efforts of their team and staff
• Life happens to all of us. A great leader is someone who is empathetic to employees who may have health or family issues.

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