9 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make if You're a Leader

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So often we find that our blind spots are due to a lack of self-awareness. There are things we "don't know we don't know.”?For those of us in management roles, this is dangerous territory to be in because if you don't know something, not only are there gaps in your knowledge, but often you don't even know what those gaps in your knowledge are!

That's why seeking feedback about the way you lead is of enormous importance. And being courageous enough to take the blows of honesty from those who can clearly see the truth.

The management behaviors?I'm about to expound on below are traits of well-meaning people who have blind spots that keep them from growing further into good leaders. Many of these are engagement killers. Worse, they're the cause of good employees exiting their companies. These come from the sentiments of scores of employees, as assessed in leadership and company surveys, personal interviews, and other instruments.

1. Micromanaging

"Oh, I just love how my boss dominates all our decisions, looks over our shoulders, and pushes us around," said no employee ever.

In one of my employee engagement surveys from years past, I received hundreds of responses to the question:?"What is the one mistake leaders make more frequently than others?"

Micromanagement was the No. 1 mistake employees across the globe felt their managers make. Really, no surprise here. Leaders who dominate people, decisions, and processes will ultimately derail a team's morale.

Micromanagers operate their way out of a sense of power, and power is about control; don't let them fool you by having you believe it's to keep from things going south, or because they want to ensure things are done "the right way."

2. Leading through fear

If you want to foster trust with your team, my advice for leaders is to hop off the autocratic high-horse and stop instilling fear in the hearts and minds of people.

This means allowing freedom for others to experiment, lead themselves, stretch, and make mistakes. This will unleash discretionary effort and your team will produce great results.

When leadership is less about control and more about encouraging autonomy and collective wisdom, things happen. So does financial growth for your bottom line.

3. Squashing the ideas of others

Leaders who?say?they want an innovative team or culture and then turn around and kill any new idea brought forth are subconsciously sabotaging the creative process through a top-down approach.

Instead, they need a bottom-up "pull" approach, supporting and nurturing innovation from "idea people" who want to contribute and make a difference.

4. Lacking good listening skills

The lack of active and respectful listening and two-way communication (sending without receiving) is a clear shortcoming for many leaders. What I want to focus on here is the willingness to listen to constructive feedback--especially the kind you don't want to hear.

Many leaders don't want to listen to the ideas, opinions, and constructive feedback of others. They operate in an ego-system, not an ecosystem. Unfortunately, if you've ever worked with this type of leader, it can be exhausting.

5. Ignoring the development of your people

Do you want to disengage employees as fast as a joy ride on the Autobahn? Treat them as if they are plain worker bees with dead-end career paths.

Great leaders will invest in top employees long-term, with learning, development, and mentoring opportunities. They create an environment that motivates people and keep their performance at a high level by doing things like:

• Making it safe for them to take risks and to make mistakes. There is immense learning that comes from failure.
• Encouraging and affirming them by asking about their development, and whether they're getting enough opportunities to learn and grow.
• Identifying each person's unique skills and strengths, and using them where they are best suited for business outcomes.
• Giving employees a front-row seat in experiencing the process of how their work, tasks, or roles align with the larger goals of the organization.

6. Lacking self-awareness

I mentioned this at the start of this post. Self-awareness is one of the most important capabilities for leaders to develop. And it is a learned trait.

A self-aware leader is optimistic and resilient. He or she bounces back from failure and keeps morale high for the team during the storm.

Instead of self-defeating behaviors that keep repeating, self-aware leaders probe and ask themselves questions like:

• Why do the same issues keep coming up over and over?
• What needs to change?
• What's triggering me to respond to situations (or my team members) with negative emotions?
• What makes me think, act, and feel the way I do? What makes me tick? What pushes my buttons?

Having a complete self-understanding gives you an edge. You can manage yourself and your emotions, identify opportunities for development and make the most of your strengths.

7. Lacking the capacity to influence

We've all heard the leadership guru John Maxwell's mantra, "leadership is influence." If building your influence is of interest to you, the fastest way to have it is to get other people to respond emphatically to your leadership. When you do,?you're influencing. If you need a roadmap for influential leadership, here's what I recommend:

• Gain the trust of others by giving it as a gift even before it's earned.
• Let go of your ego. Release control. Share power.
• Show competence. Competence builds confidence in your people. And their confidence in you will ultimately deliver excellence.
• Inspire others to find their voice. When you cast a vision, enroll your followers to express their voice as co-creators and co-contributors to the vision.
• Develop a culture in which employees are given ownership over decisions.

8. Hogging the spotlight

A few years ago I?wrote an article ?about how Cheryl Bachelder, the former and splendid CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, transformed the company through the principles of?servant leadership .

Bachelder says too many leaders hunger for the spotlight, want to stay in the spotlight and forget to shine the spotlight on others--the opposite of what servant-leaders do.

In her strategy sessions with her leadership team back in 2007, she asked, "What if we turned the spotlight to the people we serve instead of keeping it to ourselves. What would that look like?"

Well, they did by implementing the servant leadership approach across the enterprise. And the?results were incredible. Popeyes experienced one of its greatest phases of growth and profitability, a testament to Bachelder's approach to meeting the needs of the people that make the business go around.

9. Missing in action

The invisible boss is the one that is often missing in action when he's needed the most. Such leaders avoid personal interaction, especially when things are going south. They will manage by email and texting, and avoid communicating in person for fear of facing conflict (which, if they knew better and faced with courage, would be avoided altogether).

This leader is only interested in good news because he's not able to handle anything more. Got a problem? Talk to someone else.

Your turn: What would you add to this list? Which of the nine truly resonates with you? Comment below and share your experiences.

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On episode 109 of the?Love in Action Podcast, I was joined by Robert Glazer, founder and CEO of global partnership marketing agency Acceleration Partners. A serial entrepreneur and award-winning executive, Bob has a passion for helping individuals and organizations build their capacity and elevate their performance. Bob is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today international bestselling author of four books, his most recent being?How To Thrive In The Virtual Workplace: Simple and Effective Tips For Successful, Productive and Empowered Remote Work . We covered a lot on this stimulating conversation. Take a listen.

Web |?Apple Podcasts ?|?Stitcher ?|?Spotify ?|?Google Podcasts

3 Key Learning Points from This Episode

• When you get promoted to manager, you are rewarded for how good your people are; you should be hearing from others that "your team is crushing it," and not "you are crushing it." As manager, you are the conductor, you’re not playing the instruments.
• Leaders that want to reform their company culture should first work on their core values, Bob advises. “Figure out your personal core values and what the organization wants; be radically honest with the world about that and get the right people on board,” he says.
• Bob says, “I always find that [change] is not about committing to a huge [goal] on January 1st. I’m more likely to believe in the person that starts doing one or two little things than the one who says they’re going to change their life and lose 30 pounds,” Bob muses. “I always say to do the 1% rule: do just one thing better. 1% a day in that direction rather than stressing yourself out making huge changes is more likely to give you better outcomes.”

Listen now: Web |?Apple Podcasts ?|?Stitcher ?|?Spotify ?|?Google Podcasts

This episode was made possible by Duck Creek Technologies. Built for insurance, by insurance. Visit?www.duckcreek.com ?to learn more.

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Ready to grow your leaders?

I have created the ‘From Boss to Leader ’ course to teach?new and emerging?leaders?the leadership skills they need to succeed in post-pandemic times. Watch this?2-minute video ?to see if it may be right for your management team. Then I invite you to?book a 15-minute call with me ?so I can personally hear your challenges and offer some free advice.

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About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes ?is a global speaker, leadership expert, executive coach, author,?podcast host , and?syndicated columnist ?with a worldwide following. He teaches emerging leaders the skills to build great work cultures where people and businesses flourish.