Running your own business is a huge challenge. Not only do you have to make sure that you’re on top of all of the finances and you’re coming up with great ideas that are going to push the company forward, you have to manage your team. If you’ve never managed a team before, you’ll soon realise that it’s a lot harder than people think and you’re likely to make some mistakes. That’s fine, but a good boss knows how to recognise where they’re going wrong and do something about it. If you can’t do that, you’re never going to succeed as a team leader. These are some of the biggest signs that you’re a bad boss and what you can do about it.

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You Don’t Understand Your Finances

Chances are, you’re not a financial expert and you’ve got an accountant handling the day to day finances for you. But that doesn’t mean you can sit back and let them do all of the work. You’re still the one making the decisions and if you don’t understand your own finances, you’re far more likely to make bad choices about the future of the company. Usually, the reason that this happens is a lack of qualifications. You often hear people say that you can’t teach somebody to be a great entrepreneur, it’s just something you’re born with. That’s true in a way and there is a certain type of person that will succeed in business, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to learn certain skills. Before you start a business, consider doing an online msc business management course. It’ll give you all of the tools you need to be an effective boss, help you to understand the ins and outs of finance, the global business world, and give you some tips on being an effective manager.

You’ve Got Loads Of Free Time

Delegation is a key skill for a boss but some people take it too far. It doesn’t mean just handing out every single task to your employees. If you find that you’re sitting around looking for something to do during the day, you’re delegating too much and not taking on any work for yourself. You need to strike a balance so you’re not too stressed because you’ve got so much work, but you’re also still taking an active role in running the company. If you delegate too much and sit around doing nothing, your employees will resent you for it.

You’re Always Watching The Clock

If you find yourself staring at the clock every time an employee goes on a break, timing how long it takes them to come back, you’ve got your priorities wrong. You’re treating your employees like machines, not people. What you should be thinking about is how effective their work is. It doesn’t matter if they want to take a coffee break in the afternoon if all of their work is done. Enforcing strict policies about break times is only going to annoy people and make them less productive. If their work is suffering, then you should take issue with it. Otherwise, let them work on their own terms.  

If you notice any of these traits in yourself, you’re failing your employees and you need to make some changes.