10 Leo Man Negative Traits

Leo’s powerful personality and intense sociability are almost magnetic, but nobody is perfect. Anyone looking for love with this Lion King Sun sign has a lot to learn.

Understanding Leo’s negative points is helpful, not something to worry about or avoid. Of course, being a proud leader of people means few Leos willingly reveal their weaknesses.

Regardless, arming yourself with insights into a Leo’s darker side is essential for your future. After all, you will need to live with the complete package, both positive and negative.

1. Possessive

Of all Leo’s bad traits in relationships, his possessiveness may be one of the most destructive.

He may show it through jealous or controlling behavior, which creates a severe threat to potential or current relationships.

The truth is Leos don’t like to share. Of course, it’s perfectly normal to want a faithful romantic partner, but being possessive can go much further than that for some Leo men.

Their insecurities can make everyone seem like a potential rival.

The good news is that most of a Leo’s conflict lives inside his head, safely hidden from view and the risk of public scenes.

Instead, he puts effort into being charming and friendly, but is always alert around anyone who may be a threat.

This approach helps him prepare for potential danger and work out who is trustworthy. Peace of mind lets him relax a little, but never forget that Leo men hate to share.

If you flirt with other guys to fire him up, be prepared for the consequences.

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2. Impatient

Leos aren’t used to waiting for things. Patience isn’t their thing; instead, the average Leo man is impulsive and single-minded.

As Leo stereotypes go, the image of the proud ruler who gets what he wants when he wants is pretty typical.

This impatient streak reveals the childish side of the Leo character. Just like a toddler throws a tantrum if forced to wait for something, even as a grown man, Leo guys may feel desperate for immediate gratification.

On the flip side, we need to remember, Leos being impatient can sometimes be completely justified. They don’t like being messed about or lied to. If a Leo man orders food to be delivered, he expects it to arrive on time.

At times, a Leo’s impatience can cause him anxiety and concern, especially when this fire-driven sign takes his leadership role seriously.

Ultimately he must find a way to manage his personality to get the best out of himself and others.

3. Self-centered

Spending time around a happy Leo man is usually entertaining, exciting, and fun. They are friendly, generous, and full of life, and a Leo’s oversized ego adds to his cheeky charm. However, things aren’t always so great.

The best way to understand a Leo man is to work around his self-centered attitude. This negative trait is going nowhere because it’s part of what makes any Leo tick. Put simply – don’t be offended because it’s not personal!

While a Leo man will defend you in emergencies the rest of the time, it’s all about him. Protecting himself comes first, and this influences his behavior and attitudes.

If a Leo man thinks you’re playing him, he’ll cut you off without question.

That might sound harsh, but a Leo’s priority is always to safeguard his own heart and mind. He’d much rather act fast and be wrong than risk the opposite. With a Leo’s fragile ego, it’s easier to be cautious.

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4. Dominant

It’s easy enough to spot a Leo man. He’ll be the one making people laugh at a party, sorting out disputes, and generally running the show. (Helped out, as you’d expect, by his large and willing audience of minions).

This tendency to be dominant is one of a Leo’s negative traits, even though they sometimes channel it into more productive behavior.

Leos believe in themselves and the decisions they make, which is why they can be excellent campaigners, politicians, and leaders.

On the other hand, being so dominant can lead to valuable input from others being overlooked, ignored, or lost as a result.

Being a fixed sign means Leo men are serious about the commitments they make, and some take that noble concept too far.

5. Perfectionist

Do you know how to spot a Leo man in a large group? He’ll be the guy who gets everything 100% right. At a pool party he’ll wear the perfect outfit, bring the most appropriate gift, and know precisely the right time to leave.

There’s no halfway there or just good enough for a Leo man. It’s perfection or nothing.

Of course, that’s not always a completely negative trait, as it underpins Leo’s drive for success, but chasing perfection can also bring tensions.

The flipside to being a perfectionist is being hyper-critical. That can make loving a Leo man difficult.

Few people can get everything right all of the time, but by being sincere and always trying your best, your Leo man should accept that.

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6. Short Tempered

As a fire sign, is there any wonder being quick-tempered is one of the top Leo traits? Of course, that’s no excuse to be rude and hurtful. Still, it can help explain the intolerance Leo men seem to have towards being reasonable.

Leo’s have a burning ball of passion inside of them. This intense drive helps fuel their success in life, but at the same time, it can ignite their temper at the slightest provocation.

Few Leos are comfortable being doubted, challenged, or held back from a plan they believe in.

This reaction might be triggered by insecurity, perhaps because he doesn’t know much about a topic. Or maybe it stems from his well-developed impatient streak.

Dare to poke at a Leo, and you’ll face the warning roar of an irritated lion. There may be sharp words to follow, but few grudges are held. Things are mostly over just as quickly as they started.

7. Competitive

Leos love to be the best at something, or to be honest, the best at anything. This lion of a man sees no point in second place; it’s first or nothing.

This competitive streak could be seen as both a Leo’s positive and negative trait. After all, wanting to be the best can fuel lots of dreams and ambitions. It can also help turn dreams into reality.

Sometimes, though, it is taken too far. For many, Leo’s competition takes over from reason, and the need to beat or outshine others can become all-consuming. It can even escalate to a Leo man cheating and lying to eliminate any competitors.

Thankfully that’s the worst scenario. Many Leo men channel this need to win into building a career and reaching their true potential. Generally, it’s wiser to pick your battles with Leo men and overlook his minor competitive quibbles.

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8. Arrogant

There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and Leo men are likely to walk it. Perhaps that’s inevitable when you achieve most things you try for? The typical over-developed sense of self-belief Leo’s have is impressive.

There’s nothing much wrong with a healthy level of self-confidence, until it morphs into conceit, smugness, and ultimately to arrogance. That’s when the problems start.

A Leo in this mindset will resist insights or advice but love dishing those things out.

Not everything is always how it seems, though. Sometimes a Leo’s arrogant attitudes are triggered by his need to maintain appearances.

As a leader, he believes weakness is the ultimate danger point, so self-confidence becomes essential.

9. Unfaithful

Many people would agree that being unfaithful is the most hurtful of all a Leo man’s bad traits, but is that fair? It would be wrong to assume Leo’s are incapable of fidelity or that cheating is inevitable.

The truth is that Leos need a lot of attention. From a romantic partner, they rely on adoration, devotion, even something close to hero-worship. They count on having a dedicated mate to maintain a solid foundation for his life.

If they cannot get the attention they crave from someone, plenty of willing candidates are happy to step in. The Leo man would feel justified about being unfaithful in those circumstances.

So while Leos are generally loyal and quite traditional in their relationships, if pushed hard enough, they will opt out. This is a negative trait that is more understandable and avoidable than most.

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10. Bossy

Nobody should be surprised that a Leo man’s behavior is overbearing. After all, being a fire sign, ruled by the Sun, and represented by a lion. Leo sports a triple threat factor.

Leo men are driven to be the leader and the boss and take on those roles quite naturally.

This domineering behavior is a habit, not a deliberate act to annoy others or cause problems, but it can still cause considerable upset.

Sometimes this negative trait comes from the Leo man’s fear of losing control. Most Leos are bossy because they have lots of great ideas to share, plus they crave all the attention and praise that comes their way as a result.

However, sometimes a Leo man’s bossiness stems from a darker place.

When a Leo male feels genuinely threatened, his bossiness can spark unreasonable demands that feel like orders. That’s probably a welcome trait in a crisis, but not so much otherwise.