A bad leader is ...

Someone who does not have leadership skills and yet tries to assume the role of a leader.

Someone who demands but does not command respect.

Someone who hears but does not listen.

Scenario A:

Leader: Team, what do you think of using blue colour?

Team: No, we don’t think it s a good idea as it clashes with the backdrop. We should use yellow.

Leader: Okay, we’ll use blue.

Someone who goes ahead and enjoys himself/herself when the rest of the team is still slogging.

Someone who does things without a reason but solely for his/her own personal convenience and interest.

Someone who is irrational, does not think far ahead, immature, insensible and allows his/her own personal emotions to cloud and influence his/her judgment and actions.

Someone who has no clear idea of what to do and how to make a plan.

Someone who forces his/her opinion onto the team and thinks that that is how it’s supposed to be just  because he/she is a leader and hence, whose opinion and suggestion should be followed.

Someone who shouts at his/her team and instead of asking politely.

Someone who wants things done his/her own way only.

Someone who cannot get his/her team members’ name spelled correctly. Unless it's a 40-member team, then it's a excusable. 

Someone whose principles are always changing and contradicting himself/herself.

Someone who apologizes but does not mean it.

Someone who is calculative.

Someone who makes bad comments about the team publicly.  

When the whole team is going against you alone, it’s time you reflect on yourself. It’s highly possible that the problem lies with you, rather than the whole team. It is difficult when one, what more all of the above, occur. When you are not able to lead, over time, people dismiss you and your suggestions. Your pride then ends up wounded and you begin to harbor more resentment towards the others. If you are able to wake up from the tyranny spell in time, then all is not lost. But when you are completely self-absorbed and thinks only about yourself or only from your perspective, then the spell becomes a delusion and a delusion, is when things become fatal. Remember that delusion is a fixed and false belief that is unshakeable. So when you have arrived at this stage, it is almost, though not totally impossible, to wake up. And this delusion is channeled from the mind, into your actions. You lash out at the people around you on what seems to you as a perfectly logical reason but is to others, a completely unfathomable reason because you see, you are in a delusion. Unless some serious soul-searching is done, this delusion is not going anywhere. But in order for you to start the soul-searching, you first have to throw in a huge amount of humility.

I have never been a follower. As long as I can remember, I was always the President, Chairman or Head of everything. It wasn’t exactly something that I appreciated and I went through a phase where I resented this born- leadership thing until one day, someone told me “Eunice, you are head and shoulder above all your peers in this. You have to start accepting it. It’s God’s gift to you.” Thanks for the reminder, Robert. 

Ever since then, I didn’t dare to intentionally shunt from any leadership role. I learn to accept and take it as it comes my way because I'm afraid that if I continue to push away this gift, God will take it away. I was recalling my leadership days. I wonder if I was ever a good leader. There were of course, things that I wish I could have done differently.  But I really wonder what the people I have worked with thought of me as a leader. 

When I entered uni, I realised that there are many outstanding people out there, many who are more befitting of the role of a leader. It was then that I learned to be a follower. It is a great experience learning to be a follower. For one, you don't have to bear the burdensome responsibilities tied inevitably to being a leader. Although it is less burdensome, it is not always easy especially when disagreements arise or when orders are being thrown around insensitively. I also learned that in a team, being a good follower is just as important as being a good leader. Now I wonder if I was ever a good follower.