10 TOP MISTAKES A LEADER SHOULD LEARN FROM. One common trait that successful entrepreneurs possess is leadership ability. But just because you are suddenly launched into a leadership position doesnt mean that you should jump in. When I became a leader with my first startup, I was horrible. Nobody explained what I should be doing or told me some of the things I was doing were sabotaging the company I started. So you can avoid them, here are 10 leadership techniques that I found killed my company in a matter of months. 1. Lack of vision Leaders who dont define a clear vision of the future will have a team that misses goals and targets all the time. Without vision, leaders will have a difficult time motivating and inspiring team members, which will affect both performance and the value of the brand. Whether its a nonexistent vision, tunnel vision, or vision that constantly changes, a leader like this will not be able to provide achievable goals and steer the team in the right direction. Instead of sitting back and watching, an effective leader keeps the team members informed about where theyre going and how to get there. When I was working on my latest startup, Hostt, I had to explain every aspect of the company to every person involved. We all got on the same page and worked out everything before we started. We are now all on the same page about everything. 2. Failure to communicate Poor communication skills wont get a leader very far with his or her team. If a leader cant articulate goals and objectives or ask questions, it will be challenging to know whats really going on with team members and the overall business. Leaders should communicate across different mediums and environments. They should follow the 70-20-10 rule in conversations: 70% listening, 20% asking questions (along with some brand advocacy), and 10% tracking (summarizing and synthesizing information). 3. Intimidation If you want to decrease morale and experience a high turnover, all you have to do is bully and intimidate employees. A leader who is constantly threatening to fire people over unsatisfactory work, berating them for their performance, or criticizing the personal traits of employees, creates a negative work environment. Seriously, stop. Youre killing your business with every threat you put out. Teach employees whats expected and if it doesnt happen, help them make it happen. 4. Micromanagement If you cant resist getting involved in every aspect of your employees jobs, then you can expect team members to resent you for not giving them responsibility. Control freaks like that tend to be insecure and may even have a compulsive behavioral disorder that makes them refuse to accept personal responsibility and create scapegoats. Effective leaders are able to give up control and empower their team. I find that the more I build leaders in my organization, the better a leader I become. 5. No tolerance policy This doesnt mean that a leader ignores team members who arent performing or have made a mistake. But the no tolerance policy is no longer an effective technique. Removing team members for failure isnt always the best practice. Amazing leaders teach their team members and help them learn from the failures. 6. Being a know-it-all No one likes a know-it-all. Leaders who share their success stories or brag about their accomplishments illustrate to others that they are unwilling to learn and change. Instead, a leader should always be curious and not have to feel as though he or she is the smartest person in the room. The Huffington Post has a nice piece on this topic, Twelve Tips to Avoid Seeming Like an Arrogant, Know-It-All Jerk. 7. Offering incentives Theres been a belief that if a leader offers team members money, vacations, or banquets, it will increase their productivity. Unfortunately, research (via the Harvard Business Review ) has proven that people who expect to receive a reward for completing a task or for doing that task successfully simply do not perform as well as those who expect no reward at all. Instead of incentives, offer team members meaningful feedback and respect. 8. Withholding helpful information While a leader cant unveil everything, withholding helpful or useful information from team members isnt an effective technique. It creates distrust among team members, which will ultimately affect performance. Dont hesitate to share any information that team members could use to make them more proficient at their jobs. Sometimes youre going to have to trust your team. 9. Taking credit for others work How would you feel if someone took credit for something that he or she didnt deserve? A leader who takes credit for others work is no better than a thief. Furthermore, failing to recognize the accomplishments of team members will make them feel that the leader only cares about himself or herself. A leader has to always give credit where credit is due. 10. Management by walking around the office Back in the 1980s there was a management style Management by Wandering Around (MBWA). Some leaders still believe that this is an effective technique since they are making a little bit of contact with team members. Have you ever seen the movie Office Space? Dont be that guy. Engage in conversations, watch, listen, and implement ideas with team members. Become part of the team and know you are there 24/7 to help them.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 20:43:27 +0000
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