You’re Not Fit to Lead If Your Greatest Strength is Seeing Weakness

That may sound a little harsh. But many business owners and leaders are truly not fit to lead their team because they are only seeing weakness in others.

We all know, or have worked for, or even are, that smart talented leader that finds it easy to point out inadequacies, describe what’s wrong, and explain disagreements.

There’s no creativity in pointing out weaknesses.

There’s no imagination in disagreement.

There’s no innovation in explaining what cannot be done.

There’s no added value in tearing someone down.

What this does is put them into a self-supporting superior feeling due to the lack of true leadership abilities.

Working with business owners for the past few decades I consistently hear these phrases from ineffective leaders.

1.        I disagree.

2.        That won’t work.

3.        We already tried that.

4.        You’re wrong.

5.        You should be better at….

Ineffective leaders find fault like it’s the only thing leaders do. They believe they need to find fault in everything to justify their position.

The ability to see wrong, point out a weakness, highlight mistakes, and declare deficiencies is important and necessary. But don’ts, won’ts, and can’ts stabilize the past and move the business forward.

It’s safe and powerful for leaders with the authority to prevent change, end exploration, and tell people what they can’t do.

Now, here’s what highly effective leaders love to ask:

1.        Have you thought about…? Offer alternatives when you disagree. What if…?

2.        How about…? Have the courage to make something better, rather than simply pointing out inadequacy.

3.        You’re great at …. How can you bring your strengths to this challenge? The future depends on the strengths of the people around the table.

4.        How might we make this better?

5.        What are we trying to achieve and why does it matter? When you’re ready to point out a fault, ask yourself, “What are we trying to accomplish?”

The future belongs to the curious.

They ask questions and look for alternative solutions instead of showcasing fault and blame.

So, how can a leader change their ways and stop finding fault and start pursuing excellence within their business?

Here are 3 simple tips:

1.        Notice three strengths for every weakness you point out.

2.        Say what you see when you see progress. Highlight your wins and positive movement.

3.        Leverage positive energy. Figure out how to apply energy to positive outcomes. Positive energy equates to positive outcomes. Negative energy leads to negative outcomes.

If you see growth, other solutions, ask questions, seek input from others, have a positive mindset, your business will grow and be successful.

On the other hand, if you thrive on pointing out fault, don’t ask questions, blame everyone and everything around you, refuse to listen to anyone but yourself and have a negative mindset, then your business, employees, customers, and vendors will not want to have anything to do with you and your business will die.

So, take a deep look at yourself. 

Are you fit to lead?

#

Steve Feld, MBA, Certified Business Coach, Author, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals, and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops, and training. Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business.

Contact Biz Coach Steve today to see how he can assist you to get the results you want in your business, [email protected], or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. Need a speaker, contact Steve today.

#bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing #speaking #keynotespeaker #meetingprofs #eventprofs #meetingstoday