Leading with Trust: 3 Causes and Cures for Being a "Scary Boss"

October 21, 2025

Randy Conley

Do your team members think you’re a scary boss?

You may not have given it much thought, but I suggest you do. A recent study shows that 33% of managers lead with fear as a primary managerial strategy.

Given that fear-driven behavior is often unconscious, you likely aren’t aware that your leadership may be eroding the trust of your team members.

“Fear is the enemy of trust.”
~Randy Conley, Simple Truths of Leadership

Keeping with the fun and spooky spirit of the upcoming Halloween holiday, here are several scary boss archetypes inspired by Halloween characters. Are you one (or more) of these?

- The Vampire Boss:
  Drains people’s energy with endless demands and late-night emails. Never satisfied.
- The Witch Boss: Toxic and manipulative. Stirs up drama and spreads negativity.
- The Werewolf Boss: Calm during the day but turns into a raging beast under stress.
- The Ghost Boss: Disappears when needed. Gives vague guidance and avoids decisions.
- The Zombie Boss:
  Stuck in old routines. Lacks vision and resists change.
- The Mummy Boss:
  Wrapped in red tape. Slows down every process with bureaucracy.
- The Evil Clown Boss:
  Creates chaos and confusion. Enjoys playing mind games.
- The Grim Reaper Boss:
  Brings doom and gloom. Quick to shut down suggestions and predict failure.
- The Mad Scientist Boss:
  Obsessed with crazy ideas. Pushes chaotic projects without planning.
- The Scarecrow Boss:
  Intimidating but ineffective. All talk with no real action or leadership.

Causes & Cures

It’s fun to joke about scary bosses in a blog article, but if you’ve had the misfortune of working with one, you know how stressful it can be.

What causes this and what can we do about it? Let’s look at a few common sources of fear and the corresponding cure for building trust:

Cause: Blind Spots

It’s likely you are unaware of the impact fear-inducing behaviors may have on your team members. Behaviors such as micromanaging, being overly critical, finding fault, reprimanding appropriate risk taking, or using hostile verbal and non-verbal communication create fear. You may have honorable intentions behind your actions, but the impact isn’t aligned.

Cure: Develop Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence. Through self-improvement, coaching, and training, you can gain a better understanding of what drives your behavior and the impact it has on others.

Cause: Insecurity

Insecure leaders often feel the need to project an image of authority, power, and decisiveness. This can lead to behaviors that have the opposite effect of what you intend.

Cure: Vulnerability

Demonstrating a bit of vulnerability about your own fears opens the door for team members to know you on a more personal level. Since leader fear influences culture, statements such as “I don’t have all the answers” or “I’m worried about X” diffuse fear and invite trust.

Cause: Not Welcoming Dissent

Leaders commonly view dissent as opposition, which can trigger a defensive reaction that shuts down dialogue and healthy debate. When this happens repeatedly, team members learn the lesson to keep their mouths shut and go along with what the boss says.

Cure: Create Psychological Safety

Don’t just say you’re open to differing viewpoints; solicit them proactively. Reward candor and visibly act on feedback. Fear shrinks and trust grows when people feel heard and respected.

Fear is an early warning sign that trust and psychological safety are lacking in your team. But it’s not a lost cause—far from it! Through developing your self-awareness, being appropriately vulnerable, and fostering psychological safety, you can get rid of that “scary boss” label and lead your team to higher levels of innovation, productivity, and engagement.