Mirroring An Experience

1. Forming and influencing opinions

In every relationship, we get into be it business or personal, we need to go with our eyes open and willing to see people for who they are, not who what others say they are or who we are or what others say we are. Forming our own opinions, can be judgmental, and most are guilty of this. 

2. Not encouraging commitment, but seeking compliance

Any management can achieve compliance from those they employ, which means it is merely getting people to do what they’ve been hired for. But when leaders lead their people to truly commit to their work, they get more out of them because they want to, not because they have to. When lead in this fashion naturally more will be committed to the cause, and so get engaged fully.

 3. Fond of the position and the chair

At some point in their career most seek positions, get fond of the chair in their cabins and because of the power given to them, they would want others to come to them for almost everything, approvals and sanctions are just small components of the responsibility. On the contrary best leaders and managers are those who mostly MBWA (Manage By Wandering Around). In fact, in the armed forces it is said the best officer is one who is with the soldiers in the trench.

4. Not getting to know the people

There can be many reasons for this including our “ego” or assumptions about ourselves (created or cultivate), hence would be mostly self-centered. This doesn’t help the cause for any leader, because staying close to the people who are serving for a cause or work in the organization, are the one’s who we need to get to know more intimately

5. Taking decisions without knowing the full impact or keeping people’s feelings in mind

Most failures of well conceived plans get poorly implemented because of the arm-chair decision making process. 

6. Not acknowledging others success nor celebrating

A true leader is one who may be the author of the entire content of the plan or the strategy. Gaining the right commitment and a consensus buy-in, with everyone participating in the process and feeling consulted. Projects of this nature will definitely meet success, and they need to be celebrated.

7. Feedback not asked

Most people would tend to be diplomatic naturally wanting to avoid conflict, so most won’t tell the leadership and the management what they really think, unless they are asked for an honest free feedback, and that which will not be taken on them or misconstrued.

8. Expecting people will do the right thing always

Having systems, processes, procedures in place is one thing, which majority of businesses will claim on paper, but hardly prevalent on the ground. Should everything go fine, it’ll seem great, but when things go wrong the “blame game,” starts. I’m right, you are wrong.

9. Not inspiring enough, leave aside greatness

Organizations can demand the backs and hands of employees because they have been hired, and perhaps the employees feel secure because they have a job which helps them and their family, but they will volunteer their hearts and minds only when inspired. Great leaders have the ability to tap into the latent talents and energies of people in a way that unleashes discretionary effort. In this way, organizations can move past mediocrity and towards greatness.

10. Not aligning passion with purpose

Not many of us can claim to have a job that we are passionate about. Passion in one thing and doing something for a living is another altogether. If one can align his/her passion with his/her purpose, you will find fulfillment in whatever they choose to do in life. When a job starts to feel like a ‘job’ one ought to evaluate whether or not they feel they’ve aligned with their ‘purpose’ in life. Not having alignment with our purpose affects who we are as a person and a professional.”

11. Not embracing discomfort

At sometime or the other we all will have to undertake activities or encounter situations that we don’t enjoy. And because we don’t like that we tend to avoid as we’re scared or feel uncomfortable. Real growth however, is to take on those activities first, or encounter such situation with gusto. The sooner we embraced is comfort the more we will triumph and gain in confidence.”

12. Not being real

There’s a lot of make belief in our life. Very few express themselves exactly the way they are. Being authentic and to be accessible would be a phenomenal advertisement of a great leader.

13. Not being self

We have all been made to be natural and what we are meant to be, but most people tend to copy other people by their style, their appearance, by their mannerisms, their thoughts, their sayings, their ideology. Honestly we can’t really copy anyone else’s style effectively, no matter how much we look up to him or her, instead, we need to be trendy and make others want to follow us or be like us, though it isn’t really recommended. We need to be unique.

14. Being rigid, inflexible and not knowing when change is needed

It’s very common for people to have a mind-set, or come with an ideology that has had an impression upon them, which can go as far as their childhood. Such people may also believe, what they say or do is the right thing. They may even begin to preach their learning, without even realizing they may be wrong or they need to change. Extreme step would be, ‘sometimes the only way to change people is to change the people.’

15. Not being honest

One important aspect of a genuine leader is to be honest. If the leader has to deliver a tough message, it is best to be honest and truthful. This is understood, leaders will be highly trusted and appreciated

16. Not showing enough gratitude

Most bosses fail here. One ought to never underestimate the importance of the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. By using them good leaders demonstrate a level of respect that people desire and appreciate, and that too can help build trust.”

17. Not being sensitivity

Being honest and candid is one thing, but what is very important is to still maintaining the others’ self-esteem.

18. Not conquering enough.

Everyone around us has their experiences too. Good leaders are one’s who take others’ experiences too. They add good one’s to their experience, and learn from the other’s mistakes as to how not to repeat them or make them.

19. Not planning for future prosperity of either their or the others

The best way to turn any leadership example into action is to make it official.