Leader-Less: Leadership Traits You Must Avoid

A bad leader can take a good plan and destroy it, while a good leader can take a bad plan and make it work.

–?John C. Maxwell

We often talk about the qualities of good leaders, but we can also learn so much from bad leaders.? These lessons don’t only apply to leadership, think about their application in interviewing for auditors and investigators. By studying some of the greatest leaders, we can learn things like: How to inspire; How to motivate; and How to carry yourself.

Great leaders have all sorts of traits and habits that you should consider adopting. Great leaders are often: Bold; Persistent; and Adaptable.

However, those of us living in the real world have certainly encountered plenty of lousy leaders. Whether it was a teacher in our past, an old boss, or a slick politician who lied to us, we have all dealt with horrible leaders.

It would be simple to ignore these people and try to forget about them, but what if I told you that you could learn just as much from these leaders as the great ones?

It's true! These leaders provide us with glowing examples of leadership traits we should avoid. Learn from the mistakes of horrible leaders and ensure you don't follow them down the same lousy leadership path and again consider these from an investigation and audit interviewing perspective.?

Read on to learn about ten leadership traits you should actively avoid.

1. They Think They Know It All

If you want to be a great leader, one important trait is not to act like you know everything. No one can possibly know it all, and great leaders don't act like they know it all.

A great leader will recognize their weaknesses and then build a team that addresses them directly. If you don't know something, acting like you do has no upside. For example, if you struggle with numbers, hire someone who excels at them!

Acting like you know everything when you are in over your head will only isolate you from your team, ultimately holding you back from achieving your goal(s).

2. They Avoid Conflict

Most people dislike conflict. I certainly do, and I'm guessing many others feel the same. It's natural to want everything to go smoothly and for everyone to like you, but……..

A leader doesn't have the luxury of hoping that is the case. Sometimes you are going to have to butt heads with people. If a team member isn't pulling their weight, you must address it.

If you avoid addressing issues because you fear conflict, you will look weak and set yourself up for failure. You don't have to go into every meeting with guns blazing, but when it is time for conflict, you better be ready.?

3. They Don't Take Responsibility

Here is another horrible trait that won't just hurt you as a leader; it will also hurt you in your day-to-day life.

Sometimes, a leader needs to take responsibility for their actions. Ultimately, the leader is accountable for achieving results. If you're not achieving results, shifting blame to others is considered a sign of weakness. People you work with and those you work for will take notice of this, potentially eroding their trust and respect for you.

You need to take responsibility if something goes wrong and it is your fault, and maybe even if it isn’t.

4. They Don't Listen

This is somewhat related to "knowing it all." Sometimes, a leader is so confident in themselves (which isn't inherently bad!) that they refuse to seek advice from their team.

Refusing to listen is a detrimental characteristic that will have long-term consequences.

You don't have to act on every suggestion someone gives you, but being open to new ideas from your team is vitally important. Not only does it ensure you don't miss out on opportunity, it also makes your team feel valued. If you are open to new ideas, your team will feel more comfortable sharing them. It is the proverbial "win-win".

5. They Don't Have a Clear Strategy

Another way to phrase this is that they don't have a clear vision. To be a good leader, you must know what you want to accomplish and how to get there.

Of course, things will happen along the way, and you may have to adjust, but you still need an overarching vision or strategy that keeps your team motivated. If you don't know where you want to end up and how you want to get there, how will anyone else?

?Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led.

–?Stephen Covey

6. They Don't Communicate Well

This goes hand in hand with the last point. You can have the best strategy in the entire world, but what use is it if you can't communicate it?

You don't need to be an unbelievable public speaker (although that helps!), but you do need to communicate your thoughts clearly. A great leader can communicate in a way that reaches their team. They can communicate across various platforms and connect with diverse personalities. If you cannot do this, you might not be able to lead.

7. They Don't Learn from Mistakes

No leader, let alone a person, is perfect. Our lives are full of failures and mistakes, which help shape us when we treat them as learning opportunities. A great leader ensures that every mistake they or their team makes becomes a teachable moment.

A lousy leader will continue to make the same mistakes repeatedly. That not only stalls progress but also hurts their entire team. Which leader would you rather be?

8. They Show a Lack of Empathy

Some leaders think they need to be above their team. They talk down to them, act better than them, and work them to the bone. This may yield results sometimes, but in the long term, it usually just burns bridges.

You need to be able to handle people much more empathetically. Great leaders must be able to put themselves in other people's shoes, which means they treat their team with respect. You may need to put your foot down sometimes, but remember it is a real person with real feelings on the other side of the conversation. Don’t forget from where you came.

9. They Show a Lack of Integrity

Just as bad as a lack of empathy is a lack of integrity. All a leader has is their word. If you say something, you need to live up to that. A great leader has a personal code, and they stay true to that.

If you make big promises and never deliver, how does that look? If you say one thing and do another, who does that inspire? If you straight-up lie, who is ever going to believe you?

You must have integrity if you want to be a great leader (or even a good person).

10. They are Reluctant to Change

Many people are hesitant to embrace change. We live in an incredibly fast-paced world, and it is crucial for a great leader to be prepared for change and to accept it wholeheartedly. In contrast, a poor leader will resist change and be left behind.

You don't have to always live on the cutting edge. You don't have to embrace every single trend that comes along. You don't have to try and guess the next big thing.

You must be prepared for change. Change affects everyone and every industry. If you resist change, it will hinder you and your team. A great leader will welcome or foresee change and ensure their team is prepared. A poor leader will ignore it, until it's too late.

You can't underestimate just how much you can learn from great leaders. Now you know ten leadership traits you can avoid when it is your chance to lead (or even just live your life).

The next time you are stuck working with a horrible leader, don't just ignore them. Pay attention to their mistakes and traits that hold them back from greatness. It isn't just your own mistakes that you can learn from. This way, you will be ready when it becomes your turn to lead. You will make your own mistakes along the way, but at least you can avoid the mistakes of others. Again, see the incredible parallels to quality interviewing; integrity, credibility, empathy and others.

Anderson Investigative Associates is positioned to custom-tailor training to your specific needs.? If you have any questions or would like to discuss the issue of leadership, or lack thereof, or any training need, please reach out.? Additional issues pertaining to interviewing, auditing, and investigations can be found in other blogs and videos that I have produced and are contained in most blocks of instruction that our company presents.

If you have additional questions, comments, or have an interviewing topic you would like me to address, give me a shout.? In the meantime, be well, stay safe out there, and establish those qualities of good leaders, because no matter what role you have you need to lead.? These qualities can improve every aspect of your life.

Mark A. Anderson

Director of Training and Development

Anderson Investigative Associates, llc

114 Loucks Avenue

Scottdale, PA 15683

[email protected]

tel:912-571-6686

www.AndersonInvestigative.com