Just like there are habits or traits that make a great leader, there are also those that make no-so-great leaders. If you possess these ineffective leadership habits, it’s best to recognize and correct them as quickly as possible, as they could be putting up a big road block on the path to productivity and success. These habits also affect how your team will work for you, and how they will be able to prosper in their positions. These 5 habits that could be hindering your leadership are:
- Clouding up the objectives – While your own objectives may not be perfectly clear, those you pass on to your employees or your team members should be as clear as possible. While it may create more work for you figuring out where the clear objectives may stand and how to communicate them, it will help your team to reach their goal in a simpler and much more effective way.
- Leading with talk – Great leaders lead with action, and a poor leadership habit is leading with talk. Leading with talk is expecting others to do what you’re not willing to do yourself, and it does little to inspire your employees to really work to their best potential. When leading, drop the talk, and show your employees what you expect out of them with your actions instead.
- Micro-managing – This one is a common and simple one, and one that many have felt the effects of. A leader that micro-manages his or her team is a manager that places his or her own concerns over any real productivity, as their actions show their employees that they don’t have faith in their judgement or abilities. Nothing kills creativity more quickly than micro-management, and when creativity is killed, so is real progression.
- Take all the credit – Who would feel inspired to work harder if their work is never recognized? Leaders that take all the credit suck dry the motivation and inspiration of their employees, as the employees know that they’ll never receive recognition for their work or their ideas. Simple recognition is an extremely effective positive enforcement tool, and taking all the credit also takes this very necessary thing away.
- Always changing direction – A successful leader chooses a path, and sticks to it, allowing their employees to work down this path that they’ve laid out using their creativity and their individual skills. A habit that could be hindering your leadership is indecisiveness and always changing direction, as this doesn’t allow employees to really put forth their best work and really see it through. When you make a decision on an objective, stick to it the best you can, and allow your employees to flourish working down your path.
If you have any of these habits, don’t worry! It’s never too late to change these and adopt healthier leadership strategies that really give your employees a way to thrive. Don’t allow yourself to hinder your own success, and don’t be afraid to change to a more positive and beneficial style of leadership!
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