Neglecting Relationship and Development: 10 Traits of Terrible Leadership

When leaders focus solely on delegating and results, they send a damaging message: “Your value is what you produce.”This kills motivation and trust. Great leaders go further—they coach, challenge, and develop their tems. Are you growing your people, or simply handing out to-do lists?

• Transcript

  Work is about what we output right? So naturally it is very easy for us as leaders to focus predominantly on the ‘what’ of work—delegating tasks, monitoring deadlines, and measuring outputs—while ignoring the ‘who’. These teams become cogs in a machine, expected to perform without guidance or growth. And this approach does deliver short-term results, but it’s a recipe for burnout, disengagement, and high turnover in the long run.

  Think about it: if all you do is delegate, you’re telling your team, “Your only value here is what you produce” and that’s demoralising. As Marcus Buckingham explains in his article “What Great Managers Do,” employees want to be seen as individuals with unique strengths and potential—not just as interchangeable workers.

  Leaders who neglect relationship-building also miss out on the deeper benefits of knowing their people. They don’t see hidden strengths, they don’t understand team dynamics, and they definitely don’t foster loyalty. When problems arise, their team members avoid them, fearing blame or dismissal rather than seeking guidance.

  Another hallmark of this poor leadership style is impatience. When team members struggle or fail, the terrible leader responds with frustration or exasperation: “Why can’t you get it right?” Mistakes are seen as failures, not opportunities for learning. Stanier points out in ‘The Coaching Habit’, great leaders approach challenges with curiosity, not criticism. They ask questions, like, “What’s the real issue here?” or “What can we learn from this?” Terrible leaders don’t ask; they just assume.

  Now let’s pivot. Imagine a leader who appropriately balances task delegation and relationship-building and development. This leader invests time in coaching, helping their team grow professionally and personally. Instead of reacting with frustration, they demonstrate patience, creating a culture of trust and psychological safety. When team members mess up, this leader responds with empathy. All whilst supporting our teams to ensure we are achieving our goals together.

  Great leadership is about guiding and empowering. So, here are the real questions: Are you building a team that feels valued and supported? Or are you delegating from a distance and missing the opportunity to grow together? Are you thinking about the long term health of your organisation and people? Or is your focus too heavy on the task?