These are the traits the worst managers have in common

These are the traits the worst managers have in commonThese are the traits the worst managers have in commonWe hear all the time about whatgreat leadersshouldbe like.How theyre empatheticHow theyre humble, yet drivenHow theyre transparent, ethical,inspiringBut what about the traits that make forpoorleaders? Ive worked for a variety of editors andCEOs over my career?- ?for leaders who were inspiring and for leaders who were cancerous?- ?and in reflecting on what sort of leader I want to be, now, I draw from those negative experiences just as often as I do the positive ones.Ultimately, I believe we have to know hownotto operate in order to be the most effective versions of ourselves.Here are the most harmful habits and traits I strive to avoid.1. Operating with a lack of trust and transparencyDishonesty is cancerous and difficult to cloak.Which is to say, it poisons morale and makes your employees dislike you. And poisoned morale, of course, disrupts productivity and hinders your compa nys overall capacity for operating effectively.If you think you can keep your kollektiv inspired while being dishonest to them about whats happening behind closed doors, think again.All of your staff?- ?top to bottom?- ?can tell when youre lying to them.In fact, theres rarely a reason not to be entirely transparent with your team, especially at a young, growing company. No matter the situation, your team deserves to understand what sort of logic or procedural mechanisms drive the decision-making processes at your company.Moreover, employees simply appreciate knowing where the company stands?- ?it inspires them. If you are honest, they will want to help shoulder more of the load.2. Only pushing your own ideasGreat leaders seek creative solutions to thorny problems everywhere they look.Ineffective leaders, on the other hand, approach problem-solving processes much more myopically.They suffer from what I call not-invented-here-syndrome. Ive experienced this first hand with some of the larger companies Ive worked for. The managers refused to listen to folks, like me, who were lower on the proverbial totem pole. They didnt realize how toxic this was for morale until they saw the comments in exit interviews.Ultimately, managers and CEOs who dont identify good ideas when theyre presented to them?- ?even from the lowest employee on the team?- ?stunt morale, potential, and, ultimately, their companys bottom line.3. Playing the blame gameNo matter what company youre running, if youre the one running it, the buckhasto stop with you. Youre the one in charge. Unbreakable accountability is a burden you have to bear.As it happens, a certain unwillingness to hold yourself accountable is a surefire sign of a cowardly CEO. The worst leadersneveraccept responsibility for blunders, churned customers, or badeanstalt quarterly reports. Instead, they expend effort lookingforothersto blame.This, simply put, is unproductive, not to mention damaging. As a practice, it disincentivizes e mployees from taking risks or coming up with creative solutions to problems because they fear being the subject of the bosss scorn. In time, they leave such work environments are inherently unsustainable.4. Not listening to your employeesGreat CEOs understand that inspiration can come from every employee on staff.Failing to understand this?- ?or, worse, willfully ignoring it?- ?is an indicator of a defective leader, and certainly of a leader who will never achieve greatness. Discrediting those who work below you simply because theyre technically subordinates is a sign of ignorance, and makes it impossible to build a loyal, engaged, and faithful team.As it happens, a loyal and inspired team is exactly what leaders are charged with cultivating.5. Focusing on the now and short-changing the futureThis trait, in particular, is difficult for modern CEOs to correct. In todays corporate environment?- ?in which positive quarterly reports that please anxious stockholders take precedence above all other goals?- ?it can be seen as sort of anthemic.But great CEOs prioritize and focus on projects and goals which will most benefit the company and are thus based in reality?- ?not corporate hyperbole.Prioritizing short-term goals risks long-term security.6. InconsistencyThis is something Ive battled myself as the President ofBookBaby I have, in the past, been blamed for changing strategic course too often based on shifting market conditions or new opportunities.Unfortunately, making a habit of that makes it difficult to achieve long-term goals. Strategy shifts must always be coordinated and well-thought out?- ?not to mention transparent. The folks working with you should understand the logic informing the decisions youre making, as well as the manner in which youve made them.Moreover, they have to believe that whatever decisions youre making, youre making for the betterment of the company. Its hard to remain confident in a leader who makes key decisions seemingly on a whim.In fact, that sort of behavior only triggers confusion.The central theme to all of these corporate failings is this they erode trust and respect among your employees, and render you less effective as a leader in the long run.At the end of the day, your employees are your troops theyre looking to be led. They need commanders they can depend on.But in order to be that leader, you need to work consciously on developing the right sort of habits. Often, that starts with understanding hownotto operate.This article was originally published on Quora.com.