[November 6, 2024] A few years ago, I wrote an article on why do we people follow bad leaders. The answer to this important question is complex and not always easy to explain; this is why we don’t see much written on the topic. The problem we must struggle to overcome early in any discussion revolves around the definition of a “bad leader.” America’s election yesterday gives us the perfect opportunity to again tackle the question.
What is a bad leader? “Bad” is a broad idea and is used to mean many things. I hope not to oversimplify, but I will distinguish a bad leader (ineffective and unethical) from an evil leader (malevolent). It is important, in my opinion, to differentiate between the two for our purposes here. On the one hand, an inexperienced and clueless leader may be described as a bad leader. On the other hand, Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler were evil leaders.1 The dissimilarity is fundamental.
We’ve all had a bad boss. However, it would be unlikely anyone reading this has worked for an evil leader. I certainly have had my share of working with bad leaders (usually idiots), and on occasion, I write about them. Such a bad boss is likely to be rigid, insular, callous, corrupt, arrogant, unfair, unethical, ineffective, incompetent or some combination of these.2 These traits should come as no surprise.
There are three main reasons we follow bad leaders:
- Psychological Reasons: We are social animals. Academics point out that it is easy for us to fall into dominance hierarchies, where we are prone to follow the leader with the highest push to protect us. It could also be that we want to be socially validated. Or, we could be seeking a way to divert attention away from our personal mediocre performance.
- Structural Reasons: We have no choice. Our place in the organization could have been determined by forces beyond our control. Perhaps it was just plain bad luck or a premeditated plan that we were assigned to work with a bad leader. For example, how we perform with a bad boss may be a test of our skills and consideration for another, better position elsewhere.
- Voluntary Reasons: Our task might be to work with the bad leader. Who would, in their right mind, volunteer to fix a bad leader or work with them? We might have been asked to work with a bad leader with the intent of reducing the damage done, to make that bad leader better, or to find a solution to remove that leader.
How to work with a bad leader and come out of it successfully is certainly no easy task. It can be destructive at the personal and professional level. If evil is involved, the destruction can be unpredictable. Strength of character, experience, and focus is required. One of my most difficult assignments in the U.S. Army was working with a narcissistic commander. That narcissistic commander was not being replaced, so I was required to work with him and had a difficult time.
It can be an admirable goal to work with bad leaders and survive while, at the same time, ensuring that organization/group continues to achieve its mission. My advice is to be honest and courageous; that is the only path to survival with a bad leader.
SPECIAL NOTE: Congratulations to newly-elected President Donald J. Trump for his victory over a bad leader, Kamala Harris.
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- Thus, an evil leader may be either good or bad at what they do but he would still be evil. To see some characteristics of Joseph Stalin, read my article profiling him here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/profile-joseph-stalin/
- For a professional-level analysis, see Jean Lipman-Blumen in her book The Allure of Toxic Leaders – Lipman-Blumen, Jean. The allure of toxic leaers: Why we follw destructive bosses and corrupt politicians—and how we can survive them. Oxford University Press, September 2004.
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Krazy Kamala. The USA and the entire free world dodged a bullet to the head with her total wipeout at the ballot box.
Sir, a perfect lay down of why many people follow bad leaders. But in the case of Kamala followers, they’re just crazy.
Byron Donalds called it.……….
@ByronDonalds
Obama called us Clingers.
Hillary called us Deplorables.
Kamala called us Fascists.
Walz called us Nazis.
Biden called us Garbage.
Mark Cuban called us Weak & Stupid.
Now Kathy Hochul says we’re Un-American.
They want division.
We want unity.
And tomorrow we will UNITE AMERICA
Trump wins for the third time. 🇬🇧 congratulations America.
I want to leave a prayer for P’NUT the squirrel 🐿️ and FRED tge raccoon 🦝 for giving their lives so that people could see the ridiculousness of government overreach and helping to seal Donald Trump’s glorious win against Commie Camala. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Bless Peanut and Fred. 🙏
Should we wake up Joe Biden to tell him the news? It’s 7:30 Eastern. 🥹
Sir, thank you for this on-point article. The U.S. has had its share of bad leaders and we still have many. One reason we have bad leaders is their ability to control power and money. Some weak people are attracted to power and money. As we slowly move away from our religious heritage, the more we are drawn by the devil’s gifts.
Well said, Mr. Savage. We can pray that they eventually see the light. 🙏
Mr. Savage and Pastor Jim🙏, your point about bad leaders in our personal life is spot on. I for one have seen many good people suffer because they worked under such an awful boss, to the point that they had a mental breakdown. Too bad that happens. And too often we tolerate bad leaders for there is no one else that wants to step up and lead. I see this more and more in our smart-phone culture. No one wants to stand out. This is especially true of the Gen Z and Gen Y generations. A side note from me – like Gen. Satterfield writes – congratulations to President Trump. He is a great leader. Just watch him over the next few weeks before he is installed as president officially.
Perfect article on America’s post Election Day. Kicking Kamala to the curb.
Yeah, we’ve all experienced bad leaders but let’s not overlook real evil leaders. The world is full of evil and that’s another ball of wax to take on. Gen. Satterfield, please write about evil leaders.
Scott Jennings described the election results as the “revenge of the working-class American,” interpreting the victory as a response to the mistreatment and condescension faced by regular Americans. He emphasized that they are neither “garbage” nor “Nazis,” but a group that has been overlooked and disrespected. And, Gen. Satterfield nailed it. Eventually, people wake up and reject bad leaders. Yesterday’s election was proof.
Woke officially died last night.
Well said, Dog Hair Billy. You from the South? Gen. Satterfield is from the South and we love him. Now it’s about time to kick those WOKE Generals and Admirals out and replace them with a Patton or MacArthur or Mad Dog. Message to the Woke military Flag officers — you’re fired.
God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home
God bless America, My home sweet home.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
AMERICA WILL NOW BE FREE OF THE COMMUNISTS LIKE KAMALA ANS WALZ.
Bad leaders. We can learn from them “how not to be a leader.” That’s what Gen. Satterfield tells us and, while that’s true, it’s a hard but crucial lesson.
TRUMP WINS!!!!!!!!!!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
AMERICA WINS!!!!!!
Every American wins, even Democrats who now see their message of hate and divisiveness fails as a long-term strategy. Sadly, this is what happens when bad leaders are in charge. I’ve seen it on a small scale in the companies I worked for. Now, we see it on a large scale. Further proof will be how bad governors handle the left-wing riots that will occur over the next few days in blue stated and in D.C. Oh, for those who watch the TV show The View, today will be their most popular show as they do a cry-fest lamenting a Republican win. Joe Biden never was really the presidentbecause of his dementia.
…… and the Democrats are in crisis mode. They have yet to see their candidates as down right “bad” leaders. They suck.
KAMALA HARRIS crashes and burns. This is what should happen to all bad leaders.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Americans won yesterday for re-electing Donald Trump. And kicked out the evil leadership of the Democrat Party. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Gen. Satterfield, sir, thank you for what you do. We need more good leaders.
Here’s another special note: Why did so many Americans follow the worst president in our history, Joe Biden?