Bad managers won't admit this, but it's getting more difficult to find incompetent employees. Today, more and more people come into the work force with skills their bosses will never have. And so you find a lot of competent people working incompetent managers. To keep good people in their place, bad bosses belittle and intimidate. They keep tight reigns on information, discourage new ideas, and allow nothing to happen without their approval.
Bad bosses are critical , indecisive, inconsistent, and demanding.
They never listen, rarely show approval, and have no sense of humor. The good news is, there are better bosses out there, and they listen. They realize that money-making ideas can come from anyone. A steel company which hasn't had a losing quarter in 25 years has a ceo who advocates destroying the corporate hierarchy. But to listen, bosses have to trust.