THE TOXIC LEADER SCORE

An amazing post by Dan Rockwell!

A time for honesty?

Your Toxic Leader Score* (TLS) is the level of unnecessary irritation you cause others. If you occasionally irritate colleagues by arriving late, you’re a 3 on a range from 1 to 10.

If you frequently irritate colleagues, but don’t realize it, your TLS is 9. The worst leaders don’t know they’re toxic.

10 ways to elevate your Toxic Leader Score:

1. Make everything about results. “Relationships are for babies and losers.”
2. Minimize or ignore emotion and energy. “Just do your job!”
3. Change course in mid-stream without preparing people or giving reasons.
4. Complain more than affirm and compliment.
5. Devalue progress. When someone makes progress, remind them they have far to go.
6. Set long-term goals – ignore short-term wins.
7. Focus on fixing weaknesses, rather than maximizing strengths.
8. Be a know-it-all.
9. Interrupt people.
10. Believe it’s all about the money.

Leadership is more than vision and strategy. It’s also inspiration. Your unscientific Inspiration Score (IS) is your ability to tap the power of happiness.

10 Ways to elevate your Inspiration Score:

1. Dedicate yourself to building positive energy environments. The most powerful thing you do is create positive environments where people love coming to work.
2. Show respect. If you want people to act like owners, stop treating them like slaves.
3. Be decisive with openness.
   • Seek input.
   • Explore options.
   • Explain purpose.
   • Make decisions.
   • Adapt as you go.
4. Trust people. Meddlers and micro-managers top the Toxic Leader chart.
5. Ask questions, gently. Questions feel like interrogations when all you care about are results.
6. Make work about them, not you. Help people get where they want to go.
7. Give helpful feedback.
8. Practice open handed generosity.
9. Pat people on the back, literally. Touch energizes. But, don’t lay your hand on people.
10. Pursue excellence collaboratively. Set high standards and figure out how to reach them together.

What behaviors make leaders toxic?

What behaviors make leaders inspirational?