Are You a 'Horrible Boss'? The new film Horrible Bosses sheds light on entrepreneurs' own management styles. What kind of boss are you?

By Carol Tice Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Are You a Horrible BossIt's a sensitive subject for entrepreneurs, as many were inspired to start their businesses by a desire to get away from a nasty boss.

But...what kind of boss have you turned into, now that you're in charge?

The new movie Horrible Bosses has thrown a spotlight on an unpleasant fact: A lot of bosses are awful.

A new survey of more than 400 workers found nearly half had worked for an "unreasonable" manager, according to OfficeTeam, a staffing firm that commissioned the survey. Unlike the movie's plot -- in which three beleaguered employees set out to kill their bosses who are variously: a sex maniac (Jennifer Aniston), a bigoted environmental despoiler (Colin Farrell), and a manipulator (Kevin Spacey) -- most people afflicted with a bad boss learn to adjust.

Nearly 60 percent of workers in the OfficeTeam study said they stayed on the job, despite having a nasty boss. Only 11 percent quit immediately, without another job lined up. Another 27 percent planned their escape, finding another job first and then leaving.

The study identified five common types of bad bosses. Do you recognize yourself here?

  1. Micromanager. Just can't delegate, and when you do, you're double-checking the work just to make sure it's being done the way you would have done it.
  2. Poor communicator. With little or no direction offered, workers waste time as they fumble about trying to guess what you want.
  3. Bully. Easily frustrated? Lose your cool with employees and start yelling? Is it your way or the highway?
  4. Saboteur. You're taking credit for workers' ideas and successful projects. On the other hand, if things go wrong, a worker is getting the blame.
  5. Mixed nuts. I had one boss like this once -- happy and laid back one minute, snapping orders the next.

What kind of boss are you? Leave a comment and describe your management style...if you dare.

Carol Tice

Owner of Make a Living Writing

Longtime Seattle business writer Carol Tice has written for Entrepreneur, Forbes, Delta Sky and many more. She writes the award-winning Make a Living Writing blog. Her new ebook for Oberlo is Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs.

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