Odious, shunned, dreaded and over-worked – in short: unsuccessful! If you are going to be a new leader you have the unique chance to give yourself a really hard time. No matter if you are a leader with hierarchical power or a lateral leader responsible for execution and success of a process or project – this article is for you. ‘Cause this Monday we don’t have one but 10 tips for you of how to be totally unsuccessful as a leader.

Even if you take only some of the tips to heart, failure will come to you. But to be absolutely sure you should try to complete them all.

10 tips to be a lousy leader

1. Proceed like before in your specialist field.
Most of the times new leaders have been the expert in their special field before. In order to turn your life as a leader perfectly complicated you should insist on your role as an expert without delegating anything to your employees or team.

2. Stay the fellow.
It might be hard to change sides losing the chance to complain about “the bosses” with the colleagues – so why to stop? Go on with all the mocking and complaining. It’s a safe way to undermine your authority and credibility.

3. Work at least three more hours per day.
That’s an important point. Don’t delegate or share any tasks. It’s crucial that your employees feel as useless and incompetent as possible while you take the train to burn-out-city.

4. Flaunt your new position and status.
They all may know that you are better than the rest! Concentrate on your status symbols and privileges as a new leader and on the thought of how fantastic you are compared to others. Of course, common lunch with your employees in the canteen is a no-no and we recommend warmly not to greet too often.

5. Initiate as much changes as possible right on the first day.
Asking questions and getting and idea of the new situation, section and team is highly overrated. Many big chances without any background knowledge are your ticket to leadership failure.

6. Don’t reveil your expectations.
Seriously, don’t tell them any single word of what you plan to do and what you expect from the cooperation. Be a big, dark mystery!

7. Act on the assumption that your new role is enough to be accepted.
Who cares for trust and commitment?! You are the leader, you show the ropes and everybody else has to follow.

8. Let your internal competitors outtake you.
There have been more candidates for your new position as a leader? Perfect. All you have to do is to ignore that fact as well as the other candidates. Don’t try to have a clarifying talk with them and take potluck with their attempts to set your employees against you and to prove that you have been the wrong choice.

9. Hide fails in leadership from your chef.
Don’t admit any weaknesses in front of your line manager and act like being a born leader.

10. Don’t bother about your employees talking directly to your line manager.
Not only you have been promoted but also your predecessor which makes him to your new boss? That’s good. It’s the ideal precondition for tip number 10: Don’t care if your employees – used to agreeing things with your predecessor – continue in doing so. That’s the guarantee to miss important decisions and to have no clue about what’s going on in your team.

Related articles:

#MondayLead: How to fail epically – 10 tips for being really unsuccessful as a leader

10 tips to be a lousy leader