According to a McKinsey report, “fifty-six percent of American workers say their boss is mildly or highly toxic and 75 percent say that dealing with their manager is the ‘most stressful part of their workday.’” Liz Ryan, founder and CEO of Human Workplace, says fear-based leaders have these five characteristics:
Resistance to new ideas
Control over communication
Micromanagement
Avoidance of feedback
Blame culture
It is important to note that fear-based leaders don’t always know that they are one. According to Ryan, the term also refers to managers’ fears as well. Although they may use their seniority as a weapon, remember, they are part of the system too.
