10 Common Leadership Mistakes You’re Probably Making

I came across an article discussing 10 Common Leadership Mistakes You’re Probably Making. Here are a few snippets that you might find interesting.

Although leadership may be stressful at times, it can also be rewarding — but it starts with a commitment to continuous growth and improvement. This guide highlights 10 common mistakes leaders make and offers solutions to improve your leadership skills for the betterment of your team and your business.

Leadership mistakes to avoid

1. Lacking humility

Holding a position of power may be good for your ego, but it’s important you and your employees know you’re not above your shortcomings.

When employees recognise that failure is natural, even for leaders, they’ll feel more open-minded and confident.

2. Avoiding conflict

One of the most difficult adjustments a new leader has to make is learning how to handle disagreements or conflicts that arise. However, proactive?conflict resolution ?is an important role for any leader, especially in the workplace.

3. Being too friendly

Many leaders make the mistake of trying to befriend their subordinates to seem likable and approachable. While it is important to have a good relationship with your team, people in a leadership role need to understand the importance of setting clear boundaries. Leaders are more likely to get taken advantage of when they cross the line and become too friendly with their employees.

4. Not offering employee feedback

Another common leadership mistake is avoiding feedback. Open communication is a key element to growth, performance and?employee retention . Some leaders take a hands-off approach and only offer employee feedback during scheduled?performance reviews . This can be a major problem for your employees and the organisation as a whole.

5. Taking on unnecessary work

Leaders are typically hired or promoted to their positions because they know what needs to be done and how to do it. This may be accompanied by the mentality of “if you want something done right, do it yourself,” which can be a dangerous attitude to have when managing a team.

Completing or tweaking employees’ work because it’s not to your liking, or not delegating tasks, not only creates more work for you but also hinders your team from reaching its full potential.?

6. Not having faith in your abilities

You’ve been assigned to a leadership position because someone else trusts your judgment. If you constantly second-guess yourself, that attitude rubs off on others. Before you know it, that trust is gone. Don’t be afraid to obey your gut instinct.

7. Being reactive instead of proactive about automation

Adjusting to tech developments is inevitable in the business world. You have no choice but to confront these changes and determine how it will affect your company.

By being proactive and honest with your team, you will alleviate stress and anxiety caused by these transitions.

8. Failing to define innovation

Innovation is different for every company and each person in it. As a leader, you need to define what innovation looks like to your organisation and what obstacles might impede it, said Ford.

Additionally, it’s important to trust your employees with these processes. If you’re too involved, you might discourage their creativity.

9. Lacking vision

Without vision, a company will have difficulty progressing. As a leader, you’re responsible for setting expectations and goals for your organisation in addition to holding each member accountable for reaching them.

10. Saying one thing and doing another

As a business leader, you serve as a role model for your team. Once you define the guidelines and expectations for your workplace, you should follow them yourself. For example, if you want employees to adhere to your?dress code ?or maintain a positive attitude, you need to display those actions. You set the tone for how your team behaves, so lead by example.?

Want to know more? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspective. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected]; or call me on 0467 749 378.

Thanks,

Robert