CV-Library is behind the research, which found that 82.2 per cent of workers across the nation have encountered bad leadership.

That figure spikes in Cardiff, however, as 88.5 per cent of workers in the Welsh capital city have been met with bad leadership.

Other cities where poor leaders were prominent, include Liverpool, London and Newcastle at 86.4 per cent, 84.2 per cent and 83.7 per cent respectively.

On the other hand, 83.2 per cent of workers think they would back a good leader. Those in Glasgow were the most confident as the figure spiked to 90 per cent, followed by 86.7 per cent in Manchester and 85.1 per cent in London.

The top reason for the belief of their leadership skills saw good communication on top with 22.7 per cent. This was followed by 21 per cent declaring confidence, 16.6 per cent for being approachable, 14.8 per cent for motivational skills and 12.5 per cent for being trustworthy.

“Bad management is often cited as the top reason for employees becoming stressed at work or worse still, leaving organisations altogether, so it’s no surprise that our findings highlight some of the repercussions that poor leadership can bring about,” said Lee Biggins, founder and MD of CV-Library.

The worst bad leadership habits UK workers claim to have experienced are:

(1) Poor people skills – 60.2 per cent
(2) Poor communication – 36.7 per cent
(3) Favouritism – 33.8 per cent
(4) Being unprofessional – 32.6 per cent

Highlighting how damaging bad leadership will be for UK businesses, 93.8 per cent of respondents said strong leadership is important in the workplace, while 76.2 per cent.

By comparison, 41.3 per cent employees can feel demotivated if they face bad leadership.

Biggins added: “Workers want to feel supported in their day-to-day job, and often depend on a strong leader to look up to, approach if things get tough and rely on for help on a daily basis.

“Organisations that don’t promote best practice when it comes to leadership will inevitably bear the brunt when it comes to talent retention.”

To turn around bad leadership, the top qualities for good leadership are:

(1) Confidence – 50.4 per cent
(2) Honesty – 34.3 per cent
(3) Integrity – 34 per cent
(4) Positivity – 31.9 per cent
(5) Trustworthiness – 31.2 per cent
(6) Open mindedness – 29.8 per cent
(7) Motivational – 27.4 per cent
(8) Passion – 26.4 per cent
(9) Transparency – 19.1 per cent

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