Alastair WallaceCEO. Lead Consultant. Trainer. Coach, Brainfood Ltd · Leadership & Management Training for Busy Managers. Helping senior leaders stop handholding | Brain-friendly, diary-friendly | Save 5+ hours a week | 23,500 managers trained | 200% ROI guaranteed. TED

Say GOODBYE to bad leadership! How to LEARN from the BEST (and worst) leaders

16 Nov 2023 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:55

In this YouTube monologue, Alastair Wallace highlights the widespread problem of poor leadership, noting that only about 20% of employees worldwide are engaged. He categorises common toxic manager types—micromanager, ghost, tyrant, flake, self‑obsessed career monster—and explains how many leaders simply replicate the behaviours they experienced. Wallace uses a "copy, paste, and delete" metaphor, urging viewers to identify which leadership habits to keep (e.g., clear meeting agendas, friendly greetings, scheduling preparation time) and which to discard (e.g., intimidation through fear, stress over others' lateness, vague instructions, endless email forwards). He shares his own weekly commitment to copy the habit of allocating preparation time and delete the habit of stressing over lateness, and invites the audience to comment on their own choices, aiming to foster happier teams and better results.

Chapters

Who's the worst boss you've ever worked for? What was it they did that got on your nerves? We've all had them. The micromanager, the ghost, the tyrant, the flake, the self-obsessed career monster. Lazy and poor leadership behavior is everywhere. According to the latest research, only about 20% of employees globally are engaged with their job. We're on a mission to help drive a change so teams are happier and we get consistent good results. Sadly, most of us tend to manage the way we've been managed in the past. I know I've picked up habits, both good and bad, from leaders I've worked with before. The hack here is noticing what works and what doesn't. For example, I've had bosses who intimidated through fear. Which led to direct reports disguising performance problems and not asking for help when they really needed it. You all know how to copy, paste, and delete, right? So, think about the leadership behaviours you've been on the receiving end of, both good and bad. The annoying constant email forwarding. The vague instructions. The clear meeting agenda and friendly morning greeting. These small things really make a difference. What will you copy and paste, and what will you delete from your leadership behaviour? My copy and paste this week is scheduling in adequate preparation time like my super organised colleague David. My delete is to stop getting stressed about other people being late. What's yours? Comment below.