Five Leadership Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Earlier this month, I discussed the tremendous impact we can all have as servant leaders in our communities. There is truly no better example we can set or follow than that of a committed servant leader. But today, I want to talk about the other side of the leadership coin—the pitfalls we can fall into when managing a team or business.

If you’ve ever had a terrible boss, you know the importance of improving leadership skills. But if you’ve ever been the boss yourself, you know that building leadership capacity is easier said than done.

Leading an organization, any organization, is a challenging balance between being too much of that, and not enough of this. People will undoubtedly talk about a leader’s style, and it’s tough to toe the line between listening to feedback without obsessing over every point of criticism.

With that said, it is critical to strive to improve your leadership style if you want your company to succeed, because you set the culture and vision for everyone you lead.

As you read through these five undesirable leadership styles, take note of any inclinations you have that fall into these traps. For example, maybe you are not a complete micromanager, but you sometimes expect an unachievable level of perfection.

You can course-correct even slight tendencies to become a better leader using the tips below.

1. The Micromanager

Nothing will make employees run faster from a job than a micromanaging boss. And yet, for those of us who have worked our ways up within our businesses, it’s far too easy to fall into the trap of overseeing every tiny detail, even if it alienates those who support us. We want it to be perfect, so we think, “If I don’t do it myself, it won’t get done right.”

How do you break out of the cycle of micromanaging? First, it’s important to change your mindset from controlling details to controlling the organization’s culture and overall direction. Then work with your employees to set up their objectives, and let them work to meet those objectives. Only step in if they are not meeting clearly set expectations.

2. The Egomaniac

No one wants to be thought of as selfish. But how many bosses have you had in your lifetime that had an “all about me” mentality? It’s all too common, because a selfish leader doesn’t recognize how off-putting their attitude is toward everyone around them.

Remember, leadership is not about you, it’s about the people you lead. It’s about putting people over profits. Lead with empathy and humility, and let go of selfish tendencies.

3. The Wishy-Washy Leader

Most leaders are decisive. Part of the reason they have gotten to the top is taking quick action when decisions need to be made. But every so often, you’ll meet an indecisive leader who waffles and worries, wasting time and frustrating everyone around them.

If you think you might be wishy-washy, give yourself deadlines for decision making, and share them with your staff, so they know what to expect and can hold you accountable. It’s also important to remember that while making a wrong decision comes with a cost, so does making no decision at all.

4. The Out-of-Step Pacesetter

Some leaders are out of touch with what’s going on around them. They don’t know what’s really going on with their direct reports, or worse, how their company as a whole is perceived. Others are out of step with themselves, not acting in alignment with the organization’s values and goals. In both cases, falling out of line causes confusion, erodes trust, and slows progress.

If you want to stay in touch with those you lead, it’s important that you keep channels of communication open in both directions, and that means listening just as much if not more than you talk. It’s also important to regularly check in on your goals, as well as your organization’s mission and values, to ensure you stay in line with them.

5. The Overly Critical Boss

Some managers think they will get better work by holding employees’ feet to the fire. What happens is the opposite. Without praise, they will not be as motivated to do great work, so you end up with mediocre work products and unhappy team members.

Be generous with positive feedback. A good rule of thumb is to praise work at least four or five times more often than you issue constructive criticism. And make sure that when you do criticize, the emphasis is on being constructive.

Running a team is one of the many challenges I tackle with my Celeste Giordano Coaching clients. Our goal is not only to run your business more effectively, but also to have better work/life balance.

If you’d like to join the elite group of business owners and professionals who are becoming more effective leaders, contact me today.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus?” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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