Is your boss defensive, unrealistic? 11 signs that prove you work for a perfectionist

These 10 signs indicate that your boss strives for perfection – and how you can deal with it.

In the professional world, seeking perfection and holding yourself to crazy high standards might sound like a great path to success. However, according to novelist David Foster Wallace, perfectionism is dangerous as it kills both, productivity and creativity. This kind can ruin their careers by failing to prioritise, overestimating their own abilities, acting fake, and being rigid. Perfectionist leaders not only hurt themselves but can bring down their entire team. Do you feel like you work for one? Figure it out with these signs.

Detail oriented
This is textbook perfectionist behaviour. If your boss berates you about tiny mistakes and constantly misses the forest for the trees, you have a perfectionist on your hands. Corrections Boyes also says that perfectionists correct others at every opportunity. In a healthy work environment, making mistakes can be a part of experimenting. However, the perfectionist doesn’t tolerate any errors.


On Abhinav Bindra’s performance at the Rio Olympics, shooter Joydeep Karmakar said that it wouldn’t be surprising if Bindra decided to not retire since he is a perfectionist. (Image: BCCL)

Defensive
Perfectionists don’t like getting called out. As Brown University’s Counselling and Psychological Services note, perfectionists might lash out or get defensive when criticised. So if your manager can’t take constructive criticism or suggestions, that’s a red flag.

Organised
Psychologist Adrian Furnham wrote in Psychology Today that perfectionists tend to be sticklers for neatness.

Don’t delegate
Perfectionists feel like they can’t trust anyone to do the job as well as them. This makes it incredibly hard for such managers to delegate tasks.

Unrealistic
This kind of boss asks you to go above and beyond. It’s great to have a leader that dreams. big but it’s important to distinguish attainable ambition and innovation from the unrealistic ones.


Farhan Akhtar has revealed that he has OCD and likes things to be arranged in particular order. (Image: BCCL)

Easily stressed
When things don’t turn out right, it’s normal for your boss to be disappointed or get angry. However, according to psychologist Alice Boyes, perfectionists tend to overreact to the smallest of setbacks, like a missed routine or a simple misunderstanding.

Indecisive
Boyes writes that perfectionists grapple with relatively simple decisions. If your manager keeps going back and forth and can’t seem to make up their mind, that’s a bad sign.

Risk averse
If they’re worried that a project might not succeed, they’ll nip it in the bud. This makes them less likely to seek out innovations.