5 Key Activities Leaders Should Avoid

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As leaders navigate their roles, focusing on what to stop doing can be just as important as focusing on what to do. Marshall Goldsmith , one of the world’s top executive coaches, outlines key activities leaders should avoid to foster better relationships, inspire trust, and lead more effectively.

Here are five key behaviors that every leader should work on eliminating to enhance their leadership capabilities.

1. Winning Too Much

Leaders are often driven by the need to win, but this instinct can be counterproductive. Winning too much refers to the urge to win in every situation—whether it's critical or trivial. This need can alienate others, reduce morale, and discourage collaboration.

• Impact: Overly competitive leaders create environments where people feel they must always be on the defensive, rather than fostering a culture of teamwork and shared success.
• Solution: Recognize when winning is truly necessary and when it’s more valuable to let others shine. Focus on creating a collaborative environment where everyone can contribute without fear of being outdone.

2. Adding Too Much Value

While leaders should offer guidance, there's a risk in always feeling the need to improve others’ ideas. Adding too much value happens when leaders constantly tweak, correct, or enhance every idea brought to them.

• Impact: This undermines employees' ownership of their ideas and can lead to disengagement. People may feel that their contributions are never good enough.
• Solution: Learn to empower others by listening more and letting them take the lead on ideas. Sometimes the best contribution a leader can make is to step back and trust their team’s capabilities.

3. Making Destructive Comments

Destructive comments include sarcasm, criticism, or negative remarks that undermine others. Even if unintentional, these comments can significantly harm relationships and damage trust within teams.

• Impact: Such comments can stifle creativity, reduce morale, and foster a toxic work environment. They can also erode credibility, making it harder for a leader to inspire and lead effectively.
• Solution: Practice restraint and mindfulness in communication. Ensure that feedback is constructive and delivered in a way that encourages growth rather than diminishes confidence.

4. Starting Conversations with “No,” “But,” or “However”

These words often signal that the leader is not fully open to listening or considering others’ viewpoints. When leaders frequently start sentences with these phrases, it conveys a message of resistance rather than openness to dialogue.

• Impact: Team members may feel that their ideas are dismissed before they are even heard, leading to frustration and disengagement.
• Solution: Make a conscious effort to listen fully before responding. Replace “No,” “But,” and “However” with more open-ended responses like, “That’s an interesting point,” or, “Let’s explore this further.” This invites more productive discussions and shows respect for others’ input.

5. Playing Favorites

Favoritism, whether intentional or not, can have a corrosive effect on team dynamics. When leaders favor certain individuals, it creates a divide, fostering resentment and reducing overall team cohesion.

• Impact: It can lead to a lack of trust and lower morale among those who feel overlooked. In the long term, it can create an unhealthy competitive environment where people are more focused on currying favor than on collaboration.
• Solution: Ensure that praise, recognition, and opportunities are distributed fairly across the team. Leaders should cultivate an inclusive environment where every team member feels valued and appreciated based on merit.

Conclusion

By eliminating these behaviors, leaders can significantly enhance their credibility and effectiveness. Leadership isn't just about driving results but also about fostering a positive and inclusive environment where trust, respect, and open communication thrive. As Marshall Goldsmith highlights, knowing what to stop is as important as knowing what to do. When leaders work to remove these negative habits, they not only improve their personal leadership but also inspire their teams to reach new heights.