Send to KindleNo one’s perfect and when the average imperfect individual finds him or herself in a leadership position, there are suddenly many more opportunities to mess up. Trouble is, mistakes made by leaders are much more likely to negatively affect others or even the organization at large. Here are some of the common mistakes leaders should avoid.
Failing to respect subordinates.
This is amazingly common! For some reason, when a person assumes a leadership role, they seem to completely forget what it was like to be on the other side. All those things the new leader complained about before becoming a leader mysteriously disappear and he or she becomes what they despised. Many studies show that one of the most important things people want at work is a little respect from the boss.
Failing to communicate.
This goes two ways. First leaders often fail to keep their subordinates informed, assuming they don’t need to know. Maybe they don’t need to know, but informed workers perform better. The second part is a failure to keep the boss informed. Leaders who keep their own bosses apprised of what they’re doing and how things are going are going to be more successful because the boss generally feels more comfortable with them.
Not knowing the plan.
There are way too many leaders out there who just don’t know what they’re really supposed to be doing. Sure, they know they’re jobs, but do they know where their organization is going and how they can help them get there? When a leader knows the organization’s mission and goals, and more importantly, understands how they and their area of responsibility contribute to success, they will be much more effective. If you’re a leader, and you don’t know these things, make a concerted effort to find out!
Love of power.
There’s a saying that power tends to corrupt. If you need an example of this, just look at most politicians. But, you don’t have to be a politician, CEO, or high ranking member of a corporation for this to be a problem. Even a little bit of power can cause an addiction that will be disastrous for leadership success. Leaders will quickly adapt to the perks of their position, no matter how small they might be, and want more. Whatever small amount of power they may have will soon become insufficient. That’s when trouble starts. The quest for more power, or at least the perks that come with more power, can quickly lead the unwary leader down a road that often leads to dismissal or even prison. It’s best not to think of leadership as power. Rather know it for what it really is; responsibility.
Failure to laugh at yourself.
A good sense of humor is essential to maintaining sanity as a leader. Many leaders take themselves too seriously and refuse to see the humor in a situation. The ability to laugh at your own mistakes goes a long way toward making life more bearable. That doesn’t mean constant hilarity is the order of the day, or that a leader shouldn’t take the responsibilities of the position seriously, just that a lighter approach works better and will help you live longer.
So if you avoid these mistakes, everything will be rosy, right? No, but your leadership role will be a little easier and you’ll be more likely to keep that position and maybe even earn another one.
