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They're always right -

Your boss is always right and refuses to hear other opinions. They also promote people who validate their opinions, and demote people who challenge them.

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They put people down in public -

There's nothing more demoralizing and humiliating than having your boss say something demeaning about you in front of your colleagues. It just shows a great lack of respect and professionalism.

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They never give constructive feedback -

You’ll rarely get recognition for your work or helpful advice on how to improve. A toxic boss may only come to you with feedback when you make a mistake.

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They play favorites -

They have a clear favorite with advantages, such as access to resources or benefits that are not made available to others. And it's not based on performance.

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They cut you off in meetings -

They aren’t interested in hearing other people’s opinions and cut you off when you try to speak. They might even block you from joining cross-functional meetings.

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They only care about their own career advancement -

They spend a lot of time managing their employees, but they have no time or interest in mentoring them. Conversations about the future or career development are rare. 

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They take credit for your work -

Toxic bosses may take credit for your work on an important project that gets good results. They will present it as their own, often leaving you out of the picture.

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They make inappropriate comments or gestures -

Inappropriate comments or gestures, like rolling their eyes when you speak, may occur. Toxic bosses may even demonstrate gender bias and other forms of prejudice.

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They don't care about your work-life balance -

If your boss is keeping you at work overtime, then that's a big warning sign. They're crossing a line and disregarding your existence as a human being.

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They create conflict within the team -

A toxic boss may pit one team member against the other to create unhealthy competition, and to destroy healthy feelings of camaraderie.

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They're unpredictable -

Healthy leaders are stable and interact professionally with their employees, so if your boss is friendly one minute and throwing a temper tantrum the next, then that's a big warning sign.

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They micromanage you -

A toxic boss will assign you a project and watch over your every step. They don’t allow you to think on your own or take any action independently.

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They talk about people behind their back -

Pay attention if your boss shares gossip about others, because they are most likely spreading rumors about you, too, which is super toxic to a work environment.

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They neglect you -

This is the opposite of micromanaging. They have no idea what you're working on, and they don't care about any effort made by you and your fellow employees.

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They blame others for their mistakes -

They never take responsibility for their mistakes, and they're quick to blame others. They are also likely to throw others under the bus and insist that they're right.

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They gaslight you -

If your boss is making you feel like you're crazy by changing details about what they said or what you've accomplished to control you, then they're gaslighting you. This is an extremely toxic situation that can have a negative impact on your mental and emotional health.

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They lack integrity -

A toxic superior is guided by their own self-interest. They break the rules for their own personal gain and don't follow general work principles that are expected in a professional setting.

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They know your emotional triggers -

Toxic bosses will use any means to have control over others. They know your emotional triggers and will use these against you with unpleasant comments and manipulation.

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They operate out of fear -

If your boss is making you feel fearful about your place in the company or your ability to meet goals, then they may be using fear as a control mechanism. Healthy leaders use motivation, not fear.

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They make you doubt your abilities and accomplishments -

A big warning sign is if your boss is making you feel like your abilities and accomplishments aren't important or even the result of your actions. It's a mechanism to keep you feeling low and control your self-esteem.

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They tease and mock you -

You're definitely in a toxic situation if your boss is always cracking unpleasant jokes, even in a 'nice' way. It's a lack of respect and professionalism towards you.

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They lie -

A boss who lies is without question untrustworthy and toxic. It's a really bad foundation for a productive and healthy professional relationship.

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They expect you to be just like them -

A healthy boss knows that different types of personalities can improve their team. But a toxic one will only like people who are similar to them.

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They call you when you're off -

A toxic boss may not respect that your working hours are done or that you have taken a long weekend off. To deal with this kind of behavior, you need to set boundaries early on.

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They love the limelight -

If your boss is constantly using "I" in association with success, then that's a sign of a toxicity. These kinds of people love to be at the center of attention.

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They are passive-aggressive -

One telltale sign of a toxic boss is passive-aggressiveness. It's extremely unpleasant and frustrating to receive hostile comments from a superior.

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Ideas never go anywhere -

Some toxic bosses will never say "no" to your face. Instead, they'll listen to your ideas but put them to the side, or implement them in a poor way to provoke failure.

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Projects are whisked away -

One toxic sign is when a boss will suddenly reassign your project to another colleague without any explanation. It might feel like the rug was pulled out from under you. But know that you do deserve an explanation.

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Your coworkers don't speak up -

If someone is scared of their boss, then they'll probably not speak up. And when they try to do so, they might get shut down, which creates a cold silence when the boss talks. This is an indication that not everyone's ideas are heard.

Sources: (Insider) (Forbes) (Metro) 

See also: How to be more confident at work 

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