Don’t let your leadership strengths become your weaknesses!
If you are a leader, probably you have done something right. You must have demonstrated the skills and abilities to help move the organization forward. But, the same skills could also lead you to become a terrible manager.
There is a thin line between strength and fault. You will not advance if your weaknesses are not detrimental in your leadership. Consider some ways to keep your strength in check.
#1. Failing to define goals
If your team members don’t have clear goals, they can’t be productive. No mission can be achieved without defining goals. Leaders often find it hard to establish goals and the corresponding strategies for the company to meet its full potential. Many times, they have goals but they are not good enough to get them done on time.
Let your team be familiar with the goals and the reason why the team is created in the first place.
Tip: Have a definite goal and a clear plan to achieve it.
#2. You cannot be too nice and a good leader
Yes, that’s a weakness too!
Being nice is overrated in the corporate world. If you are letting problems continue out of fear of not being liked or somebody bitching about you, it’s not a healthy approach for a leader. A study that appeared in “Journal of Personality and Social Psychology”, revealed that disagreeable people are perceived as better leaders.
Although this doesn’t mean you have to be mean, instead be a wise leader. Get the balance right between being a boss and friend.
Tip: Being a leader is hard. The sooner you realize this, the better it is for your team and organization.
#3. Misunderstanding motivation
If you think money is the biggest motivation factor for your team mates, you are mistaken! Money is not the only motivator; in fact, it’s not the one for many.
As a leader, you have the opportunity to motivate others. Know what motivates your team members. It could vary from person to person; you are dealing with a group of people with different personalities. For some it could be flexible working days, for others it could be an appreciation or praise.
Tip: In order to create a productive work environment, you need to be able to motivate your people.
#4. Don’t stick in stagnant leadership
A leader no longer seeking change would soon become stagnant and then begin to decline. Being static and unable to accept change is one of the biggest threats for any business.
Even if the current ways are working well for you and the company, don’t let yourself and the team grow stagnant. Listen to feedback from anyone, even your team members and make sure the feedback is not lost in the papers. Decipher and act upon it.
Tip: Never lose the desire for innovation and enthusiastic solutions.
#5. Being over-optimized about people
This is a truth in every company. Chronic low performers are really good at performing low. They have figured out how to do the bare minimum and still get paid. This is a skill too!
If you have a low-performer in the team, deal with it. You just cannot afford to ignore it. You may have shot them a number of times behind the closed door, but never pulled the trigger.
Break the cycle of under-management of low performers. Even if the employee has been in the company for a long time, don’t let it stop you.
Tip: Don’t hesitate to make a difficult but the right decision for employees who can’t meet the target performance.
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Being a leader, your power is more than issuing promotions and raises. It is an important role that deserves a lot of your attention. So, if you see you possess any of these traits, you can consider changing your leadership style.
Mistakes provide great opportunities for learning. However, it’s better not to commit in the first place.
Images: ”Leadership concept with globe on blue background/ Shutterstock.com“
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