A Bad Boss Could Make You a Better Leader
Suffering from mistreatment by those at the top could turn lower-level employees into better leaders, according to recent research from the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Authors of the study, UCF College of Business professors Shannon Taylor and Robert Folger, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso, Suffolk University and Singapore Management University, conducted multiple experiments over several years to find these results. They examined the attitudes and behavior of supervisors who had previously been abused by past supervisors and supervisors who had not been. They found that those who had experienced abuse and distanced themselves from the abusive superior purposefully tried to express respect and kindness towards their own employees, the opposite of what they had experienced.
“Some managers who experience this abuse can reframe their experience, so it doesn’t reflect their behavior and actually makes them better leaders,” says Taylor.
Taylor hopes that this study will help those who are dealing with abusive bosses and help them realize they can rise above and make a difference.
“You can take a stand—not just by reporting the bad behavior, but by actively rejecting this abusive leadership style,” says Taylor.
The study found those who relied on their morals and integrity to defy their manager’s abusive approach felt encouraged to prevent it from moving beyond their bosses.
“Our study sheds light on a silver lining of sorts for people who are subjected to abuse at work. Some managers who experience this abuse can reframe their experience, so it doesn’t reflect their behavior and actually makes them better leaders,” says Taylor.
This may not stop workplace abuse, but it can help companies better train leaders and maintain a more positive workplace climate.
“The lesson here isn’t to hire more abusive managers, of course, but to try to encourage people who have been abused, among other things, to say, ‘Look, I’m not like my boss,’” says Taylor.
Savannah Patton
Savannah Patton is the ICF Communications Assistant and a freelance writer for Kentucky Sports Radio. She graduated in May 2016 from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree in Integrated Strategic Communications with a focus in Public Relations.
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Well, I have experienced the negative impact of an abusive leader for years. Unfortunately, in our part of the world-Africa, it is even difficult to seek redress even through appropriate channels. With time it shapes our psychology. Its our reality.