bahrainthismonth.com | SEPTEMBER 2025 OPINION 64 In our business communities we have great managers in many areas who are the backbone of our productivity – but across the region, the world and everywhere – bad managers are no mystery. They are the ones subtly undermining performance yet never recognising the damage they do. Many of us know these managers all too well – but they don’t know it of themselves. Enter the Dunning-Kruger effect: a psychological blind spot where those with the least skill overestimate their abilities leading to poor performance. In our local workplaces, this combination can be quietly corrosive, and it gets worse when a manager is not competent, hired or appointed for the wrong reasons and does not work on bridging performance or knowledge gaps. A Business Culture Not Built for Feedback – The traditional management style emphasises deference and respect for authority. Decisions are rarely questioned, and managers expect unquestioned loyalty. This paternalistic model – once a strength, is now exposed as a doubleedged sword when humility and reflection are absent. In such environments, an overconfident manager is unlikely to hear criticisms, let alone respond to them. Employees reflect leadership blind spots – micro-management, favouritism and confusion disguised as strength – hallmarks of an overconfident, under-aware management style at odds with effective leadership. The Dunning-Kruger Effect Through an Experienced Management Lens – At its core, the Dunning-Kruger effect leads incompetent individuals to be unaware of their own shortcomings. In a collectivist society like ours, nuances emerge. Research from the UAE shows that bottom performers overestimate their abilities, while top performers tend to underestimate theirs. Extrapolated to the region, many bad managers likely believe they’re skilled because they see no obvious feedback – or any feedback at all. The Damage in Our Own Backyard – Toxic leadership doesn’t just hurt morale – it can directly threaten businesses: • Small businesses fail when leadership fails – perhaps due to a bad manager who never adapts. • Teams burn out; one regional survey found that two-thirds of employees reported mental health struggles at work. • Public sector investigations noted that misuse of temporary contracts and outsourcing – sometimes driven by short-sighted leadership – can harm long-term local workforce stability. When the Manager Doesn’t See the Mirror: A PERSPECTIVE ON BAD MANAGEMENT AND THE DUNNING-KRUGER BLIND SPOT In his monthly series for Bahrain This Month, Bill Grieve casts his civic lens on areas of concern, offering an enlightening and engaging perspective on various issues affecting life in the Kingdom.
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