Success Advice

Toxic Leadership: 5 Ways to Identify a Bad Leader

if you have a leader who displays any of the toxic traits, it’s time to move on to greener pastures.

Published

6 months ago

Nov 10, 2023

Filiz Behaettin

Image Credit: Midjourney

Let’s be honest, we’ve all crossed paths with a toxic leader in our careers at some point. Unfortunately, while some toxic leaders don’t even bother to hide their behaviour, some know very well how to conceal their true selves behind a strong-built facade. The latter is the most dangerous of the two.

They’re the ones you see managing the executive team well and playing the ‘I care about my staff and their wellbeing’ card. The ones who act like they’re all righteous, but behind closed doors, when no one is looking, off comes their mask, and out come the claws.

This is where they belittle their staff, make unfair demands on them, and expect their staff to bow down to them like their god’s gift to the world.

I had two leaders like this, one who would message you when you had your status as ‘Busy’ on Teams to ask if “you really were busy,” or if nature called, would time how long you took in the bathroom!

The other asked why I took leave when a family member was extremely ill and in intensive care. Her argument: “My personal assistant has an ill father, and they still come to work.”

Yes, b***, how dare I not come to work when my family member is fighting for life. I can’t imagine anything better than coming to work during such a time.

A lot of toxic leaders, like the two above, often share the same common harmful traits, making it easy to identify them in the workplace –

1. Lack of Empathy

No surprise here, but most toxic leaders have a severe lack of empathy towards their staff. These staff members are usually the ones who have to report to them, not the ones that they have to report to. They rarely consider the personal challenges and concerns of those they lead, making employees feel undervalued and unsupported.

2. Playing favouritism

Toxic leaders only care about what’s in it for them. This means they only care about managing those at the higher executive leadership level. Why? Well, because who else is going to give them a lovely pay rise or promote them?

They have zero care in the world for the staff who actually have to report to them unless it involves making them look good. This favouritism can lead to resentment and conflict within their teams and erode trust in their leadership.

3. Micromanaging

Toxic leaders, more often than not, micromanage their teams, showing a lack of trust in their employees’ abilities. Take the earlier example about timing how long staff members are in the bathroom or watching their online Teams status like a hawk.

Which, by the way, shows how you, as a leader, must have nothing better to do with your day. Unfortunately, such behaviour towards staff only stifles their creativity but also creates an atmosphere of anxiety amongst team members.

Great leaders are willing to sacrifice the numbers to save the people. Poor leaders sacrifice the people to save the numbers. – Simon Sinek

4. Resistance to feedback

Good leaders are open to feedback and actively seek opportunities for improvement. Toxic leaders, however, resist feedback and view any critique as a threat to their authority. This closed-minded approach stops the opportunity for team growth and innovation.

5. Inconsistent behaviour

Inconsistent leadership is another common trait of toxic leaders. Toxic leaders display erratic behaviour and get caught up on things that carry very little or are of no importance. Take the same leader I mentioned in my earlier examples, who became obsessed with email signatures.

As most of you would know, when you work across the same organisation, everyone has the same branding in their email signatures. Not rocket science, right?! Yet, for this particular toxic leader, they kept bringing up the topic of email signatures.

Even after we told this leader that we all have identical email signatures across the organisation, they wanted us to call up various areas and ask them what they had in their email signature.

When we said this would be of no value, given every area across the same organisation has the SAME email signature branding, they became erratic. Behaviour like this only amplifies the lack of competency of such a leader and only breeds discord across a team.

If you work in an organisation with a leader who displays such behaviours, the best advice I can give you is to get out of there. Do not wait for them ‘to change’ or for ‘things to get better.’ Toxic leaders rarely change their behaviours.

Sure, they may get a warning or, if you’re lucky, get dismissed by HR. Still, unfortunately, there are many cases where, even with the many complaints about the toxic leader in question, they still get to hang around and continue to behave in such a manner.

For your wellbeing and mental health, if you have a leader who displays any of the toxic traits mentioned above, it’s time to move on to greener pastures.

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Filiz Behaettin

Filiz Behaettin is a best-selling author, freelance writer and speaker. Her latest book 'Elevate: the practical guide to living your best life and succeeding' is available at most bookstores including Barnes and Noble. Filiz offers 1-on-1 mentoring and consulting services, copywriting, editing and manuscript services. She is also available for corporate speaking engagements and school visits. You can contact Filiz at www.filizbauthor.com or follow her at www.instagram.com/filiz.b_author

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Success Advice

How to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers

Published

3 weeks ago

Apr 10, 2024

Addicted2Success Editor

how to choose the best affiliate programs for your blog

Picking the right affiliate programs for your blog is really important. It can make a big difference in how much money you can make and how much your readers get out of your blog. With so many choices out there, deciding which ones to go with can be tricky.

This guide is here to make it easier for you. It will give you clear steps and helpful tips to choose affiliate programs that fit well with what your blog is about, what your readers like, and what you stand for.

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Understanding Affiliate Marketing

Before you start picking affiliate programs, it’s important to really understand what affiliate marketing is and how it works.

Basically, affiliate marketing is when you promote a product or service on your blog, and then you get paid a little bit every time someone buys something or does something because you recommended it.

It’s great for both the person selling the product and the blogger, because the seller gets more sales with low risk, and the blogger can make money from their blog.

How to Choose the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

1. Assess Your Niche and Audience

The key to doing well in affiliate marketing starts with really knowing what your blog is about and who reads it. Consider the following:

Your blog’s content: What topics do you cover? Ensure the products or services you promote are relevant.
Your audience’s interests and needs: What solutions are they seeking? Choose affiliate programs that offer products or services that solve their problems or enhance their lives.

2. Research Potential Affiliate Programs

Once you know what your blog is about and what your readers want, start looking for affiliate programs. Choose ones that are well-known for good products, great customer service, and helpful support for affiliates. Resources to find these programs include:

Affiliate networks like ShareASale, Commission Junction, and ClickBank.
Direct searches for “[Your Niche] affiliate programs” in search engines.
Recommendations from other bloggers in your niche.

3. Evaluate the Commission Structure

The commission structure is a critical factor to consider. Look for programs that offer competitive rates that make your efforts worthwhile. Consider:

The percentage of commission per sale.
Whether the program offers a flat rate per action (e.g., per sign-up).
The cookie duration, which affects how long after a click you can earn commissions on sales.

4. Consider the Program’s Reputation and Sureness

Join affiliate programs with a solid reputation for quality and sureness. This not only ensures that you’re promoting good products but also that you’ll be paid on time. You can:

Read reviews from other affiliates.
Check the program’s history and background.
Look for any complaints or issues reported online.

5. Analyze the Support and Resources Offered

A good affiliate program gives you things like ads to use, training on their products, and helpful managers. Having access to these resources can really help you do a better job at promoting their products.

6. Understand the Terms and Conditions

Before signing up, thoroughly review the program’s terms and conditions. Pay close attention to:

Payment thresholds and methods.
Any restrictions on how you can promote their products.
The program’s policy on affiliate marketing on social media platforms.

7. Test the Product or Service

If possible, test the product or service before promoting it. This firsthand experience allows you to offer genuine charge and build trust with your audience.

8. Look for Recurring Commission Opportunities

Some affiliate programs pay you again and again for subscriptions or services that charge fees regularly. These can provide a more stable income compared to one-time sales commissions.

Implementing Your Choice

After choosing the best affiliate programs, the next step is to smoothly include your affiliate marketing in your content plan. This includes:

Creating valuable content that naturally incorporates affiliate links.
Disclosing your affiliate affairs transparently to maintain trust with your audience.
Tracking your results to understand what works best for your audience and adjusting your strategy accordingly.

Picking the best affiliate programs for your blog involves careful planning, research, and making sure they match what your audience likes and needs.

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers.

The real key to doing well with affiliate marketing isn’t just about the products you talk about, but also how much your audience trusts and values your advice.

With enough time, patience, and hard work, your blog can grow into a successful space that earns a good amount of affiliate money and helps your readers choose the right products.