From the desk of J. Elizabeth
To: Managers, Supervisors, Team Leaders
Re: Leadership Pitfalls
If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more and become more,
you are a leader.
Having worked in many organizations during my business life, I have identified six foundation characteristics of good leaders or managers:
(1) competency,
(2) ethics/honesty,
(3) excellent people-skills,
(4) proven fairness/objectivity,
(5) ability to inspire people and
(6) recognizable vision.
Certainly, there are more, but without these six,
you are not a leader...you are just taking a walk!
Recently, I polled some individuals who work in various levels of management, for a myriad of industries and compiled a list of the top 5 leadership pitfalls voiced:
1. Failure to Lead By Example
One of the most disturbing realizations for individuals in leadership positions - particularly those new to the position, is understanding that you are on stage all of the time! Your conduct, your attitude, your decisions, your management style, everything is on display. Your staff is constantly watching and learning. You set the pattern and tone for your business area. So, your expectations should be exemplified in you. You need to walk the talk and set an inspiring, positive example.
2. Lack of Encouragement and Recognition
Everyone needs acknowledgment and motivation from time to time. Recognizing and acknowledging good performance tends to lead to even better performance. Encouraging employees to excel through positive motivation and constructive (private) consultation are the cornerstones of good employee management. Successful leaders have the ability to make things happen by encouraging and channeling the contribution of others and constructively addressing areas where improvement is needed.
3. The "I Know It All And You Can't Show Me Anything" Attitude
Leadership is a two-way street. It is give and take - a relationship. The role of the leader, in terms of management is to guide, coach and provide the vision. The role of the staff is to carry out that vision - the implementation. To do this effectively, you must have open channels of communication - which includes listening. Poor communication = poor implementation. Leaders need to listen, digest what they hear and be willing to make adjustments, if warranted - without feeling that they have been "undermined". Staff needs to feel that their ideas and thoughts count. Certainly, as the leader, you make the final decision. However, a good leader recognizes their own strengths and weaknesses and allows for education and accepts suggestions, where necessary.
4. Lack of Trust
If your employees do not feel that they can trust you, their productivity will not be at its peak. Trust is critical to employees. They need to believe that you have confidence in them to get the job done and that you are in their corner. People perform better when they feel safe-secure-respected-appreciated and valued.
5. Favoritism
Favoritism is a morale killer! If it is known, rumored or just believed that there are "favorite" employees in your department, you will have conflict, morale issues and the work production will suffer. Further, it will lead to unwanted gossip and unfavorable innuendos. Never, ever express verbally or through your actions that you "prefer" the work of one employee vs. another or that certain employees are allowed preferential treatment. You could be setting yourself up for a potential lawsuit.
In Conclusion:
Certainly, the above five pitfalls are not representative of all of the areas where leaders can fall short in staff management skills. Leading/managing people is not an easy task. You have to manage up - manage down - work with your peers and also manage yourself. Management training is critical for continued professional development and business success.
Think about the below characteristic contrasts:
Poor Leaders:
Lead by fear
Use "bossism" which creates resentment
Say "I"
Look for blame
Make work drudgery
Rely on authority
Drive/Force
Good Leaders:
Create confidence
Use "Leadership" skills which breed enthusiasm
Say "We"
Fix Mistakes
Show How
Make work interesting
Rely on cooperation
Lead
J. Elizabeth & Associates
offers a multitude of staff training workshops
and can customize programs to meet your business needs.
HR Information Brief
Into a Productive One
Disclaimer:
The information contained on this website is solely the opinion of the author and is not intended to be a form of, or a substitute for, legal advice. Please consult an attorney for such advice.
