Leadership Behaviors That Kill Engagement (And What to Do Instead)

The quality of leadership shapes every workplace experience—sometimes in ways leaders themselves don’t realize. While most managers want to inspire their teams, subtle leadership missteps can quietly drain motivation, trust, and productivity. In fact, only a third of American employees feel truly engaged at work, and millions leave their jobs each month because of poor relationships with their supervisors. The gap between good intentions and daily behaviors can have a profound impact on team morale and performance.

This blog explores eight common leadership habits that undermine engagement, explains why they’re so damaging and offers practical alternatives. Whether you’re new to management or a seasoned executive, these insights will help you foster a culture where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to do their best work.

Great leadership isn’t about control—it’s about creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

8 Leadership Behaviors That Kill Engagement

The disconnect between good intentions and toxic leadership behaviors kills employee engagement. Studies show all but one of these leaders (49%) struggle with effective conflict management skills. Only 15% of employees say their organization shares challenges openly. These behaviors sneak in without notice and slowly destroy trust and motivation.

1. Micromanaging and controlling every decision

Micromanagement destroys employee autonomy and inner drive. Micromanagers create an environment where teams feel their abilities are questioned. This style shows distrust, with 59% of employees saying they've dealt with micromanagement.

2. Failing to recognize

One in three workers strongly agree they got recognition or praise for good work in the last week. This recognition gap matters because employees who get less recognition are twice as likely to leave within a year. About 40% of employees get recognized just a few times a year, though research shows weekly recognition works best.

3. Communicating poorly

Remote work makes clear communication vital. Bad leaders give vague instructions, keep information to themselves, and don't listen to concerns. So employees make mistakes, miss deadlines, and stay confused about what's important.

4. Withholding key information or being dishonest

Knowledge hoarding creates dangerous information gaps. Leaders who stick to a "need-to-know basis" create teams that work without full context. This approach ruins trust, starts rumors, and makes it hard to make decisions because employees don't have the full picture.

5. Showing favoritism or bias in decision-making

Leaders who pick favorites affect everyone on the team. A survey found that more than half of executives admitted to having favorites when promoting people. This behavior creates resentment and leads to lower morale, reduced productivity, and more people wanting to quit.

6. Ignoring employee feedback

While 70% of employees think their leaders care about recognition programs, only 34% say their company has one [Source: Forbes]. When leaders ignore feedback, employees feel invisible and unimportant. This gap between what leaders say and what they do sends a strong message: your voice doesn’t matter. Over time, people stop sharing ideas or concerns. Trust drops. Motivation fades. Good employees may start looking for other jobs where their input is valued. Listening to feedback—and acting on it—shows respect and helps teams grow stronger.

7. Overloading teams without offering support

Leaders who overwork their teams without giving enough resources create burnout. Middle managers feel this pressure most - they give recognition three times more often than they receive it from their bosses. This imbalance leads to rising burnout among managers.

8. Avoiding conflict

Only 30% of leaders feel ready to handle workplace conflict. This avoidance lets problems grow until they become toxic. Unresolved conflicts reduce productivity, hurt morale, add stress, and damage relationships across organizations.

The Impact of Bad Leadership Behaviors

Toxic leadership behaviors do more than just irritate employees—they cause measurable, expensive damage to workplace dynamics. These destructive patterns create lasting ripple effects throughout organizations.

1. Loss of trust and psychological safety

Leaders who display toxic behaviors quickly destroy trust between teams and management. Teams stop taking necessary risks and fear speaking their minds. A workplace without psychological safety forces team members to hold back instead of sharing ideas. This self-censorship blocks the free exchange of thoughts needed to solve complex problems. Research shows managers directly influence at least 70% of employee engagement scores. Leadership behavior remains the lifeblood of workplace trust.

2. Rise in burnout and emotional exhaustion

Leadership behaviors shape burnout significantly—it's not just a personal issue. Toxic leadership's constant pressure creates:

• Emotional exhaustion that feels like "wearing out, loss of energy, and depletion of resources"
• Defensive coping through cynicism
• Lower productivity and capability

Recent data reveals 72% of leaders feel "used up" by day's end—a sharp rise from 60% in 2020. Leadership burnout flows down through organizations and creates endless cycles of exhaustion.

3. Drop in innovation and team collaboration

Creativity dies under toxic leadership because risk-taking feels too dangerous. Teams focus on dodging criticism rather than pursuing new ideas. Leaders who punish mistakes or ignore input destroy the environment needed for breakthroughs. This behavior limits an organization's growth potential.

4. Spike in turnover and absenteeism

Companies led by toxic leaders see more sick days from stress-related illnesses. They struggle to keep their best people, who naturally seek healthier workplaces. These prove how toxic patterns affect even highly trained specialists. Organizations lose both money and valuable knowledge through this turnover.

What Good Leadership Behaviors Look Like

1. Practicing inclusive and equitable leadership

Inclusive leaders build strong interpersonal relationships, treat team members fairly, and value employee uniqueness. They create a sense of belonging by accepting employees as they are and treating them with care, support, and respect. This leadership style champions positive interactions and welcomes diverse viewpoints that might not be conventional but still boost performance. Leaders who truly practice inclusion listen to their employees' feelings and ideas. They provide support that shows genuine concern for their team members' best interests.

2. Encouraging autonomy and ownership at all levels

Workplace autonomy empowers employees to make key decisions and own their work completely. Employees develop greater self-determination, stronger motivation, and better overall well-being under leaders who grant this freedom. Autonomy goes beyond flexible scheduling - it means trusting teams to choose how they accomplish tasks and pursue objectives. A coaching mindset becomes crucial here: leaders support when needed and celebrate wins that strengthen their employees' sense of ownership.

3. Recognizing contributions openly and regularly

94% of employees who feel highly appreciated love their workplace compared to just 18% of those who don't [Source: Worldatwork].

Recognition works best when it is:

• Clear and specific: Call out what the person did and why it mattered.
• Prompt: Give praise soon after the achievement.
• Varied: Mix it up—use thank-you notes, shout-outs in meetings, or formal awards.
• Meaningful: Connect the recognition to the bigger picture. Show how their work helps the team or company succeed.

4. Communicating with clarity, empathy, and intent

Empathetic leaders understand their team's needs while staying aware of their feelings and thoughts. Leaders build environments of trust and mutual respect by listening attentively and showing they value input. Remote work makes clear communication even more crucial. Leaders need to provide context for decisions and explain the "why" behind the "what".

5. Creating space for feedback, growth, and reflection

Meaningful conversations lasting 15-30 minutes each week focus on appreciation, collaboration, and current goals. These create ongoing development opportunities. Research shows that 80% of employees who received meaningful feedback within the past week report being fully engaged. Leaders help employees become more attuned to their jobs and build psychological safety by taking a strengths-based coaching approach instead of focusing on weaknesses.

How to Replace Toxic Habits of Leaders with Healthy Ones

Leaders need practice and consistent feedback to change their habits. They must replace toxic patterns with better alternatives through steady, sustained work.

1. Regularly audit your leadership behaviors

Improving as a leader starts with honest self-reflection. Take time to think about how you lead and how you show up for your team. Even a quiet lunch break or a walk can help you spot patterns—like being too controlling or dismissive—before they become habits. Self-aware leaders understand their strengths and weaknesses, and they’re willing to look at their impact on others. Regular self-checks help you catch blind spots, make better decisions, and build stronger trust with your team.

2. Invite anonymous feedback from your team

Anonymous feedback gives employees a safe way to share honest opinions without fear of consequences. This is crucial, especially since 72% of leaders feel exhausted by day’s end and may not notice how their actions affect the team. Setting up anonymous feedback helps you see what you might miss and builds trust across your team.

To make anonymous feedback work:

• Explain how you’ll keep responses anonymous. Be clear about the tools and steps you use to protect privacy, and reassure your team that their identity is safe.
• Ask questions about feelings and reasons. Go beyond yes/no questions. Invite people to share how they feel and why, so you get useful insights.
• Keep responses private. Never try to guess who said what. Show your team that you respect their confidentiality.
• Act on common themes. Share what you’ve learned and what you’ll do about it. Taking action shows that feedback matters and encourages people to keep sharing.

Using anonymous surveys, suggestion boxes, or feedback tools makes it easier for everyone to speak up—and helps you become a more aware and effective leader.

3. Invest in emotional intelligence and self-awareness

Emotional intelligence is a skill you can build, not just something you’re born with. Training in this area leads to higher employee commitment, more participation, and even better business results. Good programs focus on four key areas:

• Self-awareness: Knowing your own strengths, weaknesses, and emotions.
• Self-management: Controlling your reactions and staying calm under pressure.
• Social awareness: Understanding what others are feeling and seeing things from their point of view.
• Relationship management: Building strong connections and handling conflict well.

Leaders who work on these skills connect better with their teams and create a healthier, more engaged workplace.

4. Model vulnerability, humility, and accountability

Showing vulnerability as a leader takes real strength. It means being open about what you don’t know and willing to let others’ ideas shape your thinking. When you admit mistakes and own your actions, you set the tone for honesty and growth. Humble leaders make it safe for everyone to speak up and share concerns. This builds trust and turns conflicts into learning moments, not battles.

5. Set clear goals and build support systems to back them

Teams do their best work when they know exactly what’s expected. Clear goals help everyone understand their roles and how they fit into the bigger picture. When you match personal goals with team objectives, people find more meaning in their work. It’s just as important to set boundaries and provide support—so your team can focus on what matters most, without burning out or losing sight of priorities.

Transform Your Leadership, Transform Your Team

Great leadership is built on daily actions that shape trust, motivation, and team success. By choosing healthy habits—like self-reflection, open feedback, and clear communication—you create a workplace where people want to stay and do their best. Every leader has the power to lift their team or hold them back. The right choices lead to lasting engagement and stronger results.

Want honest input from your team?

ThriveSparrow makes it easy to collect anonymous feedback, uncover what really matters, and take action. Use AI-driven heatmaps to spot trends and take immediate actions where they count most.

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FAQs

Q1. What are some common leadership behaviors that negatively impact employee engagement?

Some common leadership behaviors that harm employee engagement include micromanagement, lack of recognition, poor communication, withholding information, showing favoritism, ignoring feedback, overloading teams without support, and avoiding or mismanaging conflicts.

Q2. How does leadership style influence employee engagement?

Leadership style significantly impacts employee engagement. Positive leadership behaviors like practicing inclusivity, encouraging autonomy, recognizing contributions, communicating clearly, and creating space for feedback foster higher engagement. Conversely, toxic leadership behaviors can lead to decreased trust, increased burnout, reduced innovation, and higher turnover rates.

Q3. What are some effective ways for leaders to improve employee engagement?

Leaders can improve employee engagement by regularly auditing their leadership behaviors, seeking anonymous feedback from their team, investing in emotional intelligence training, modeling vulnerability and humility, and setting clear goals while providing adequate support systems for their employees.

Q4. How can leaders recognize and appreciate their employees effectively?

Effective recognition should be specific, timely, varied in form, and connected to the company's purpose. Leaders should aim to recognize contributions regularly, ideally on a weekly basis, and ensure that the recognition is meaningful and relevant to the employee's accomplishments.

Q5. What role does communication play in leadership and employee engagement?

Clear and empathetic communication is crucial for effective leadership and high employee engagement. Leaders should provide context for decisions, explain the reasoning behind tasks, listen attentively to employee concerns, and create an environment where open and honest communication is encouraged and valued.