We’ve all experienced that overwhelming sense of exhaustion at the end of a workday. For some, this exhaustion persists even after taking a break, leaving them wondering why rest doesn’t seem to recharge their batteries.

We’ve all seen these. Some are subtle. Some are everywhere. None belong in great leadership.

Over the years, as a coach, psychologist, employee, and human who cringes just like you — I’ve collected a list of leadership behaviours that make me wince. Some are outdated habits. Others good-intentioned missteps. A few are still being glorified (unfortunately).

Here are my top 11 leadership icks - the habits we need to leave behind pronto if we’re serious about building strong culture and high-performing teams.