Top Mistakes Leaders Make That Undermine Their Authority Part 2
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Having Unrealistic Expectations
Leaders need to have high expectations, but they also need to make sure that they set realistic targets. This means that they need to set expectations that they can reasonably expect their people to meet. If you set unattainable targets, you will cause a lot of frustration among your team members. This will make it harder for them to do their jobs and will make it harder for you to lead them. Unrealistic expectations can also lead to stress and burnout. You don’t want this to happen, but it’s important to keep your team members inspired. This means that you need to set realistic targets for them and make sure that they understand what is expected of them.
Not Holding People Accountable
This is closely related to unrealistic expectations. If you don’t hold your team members accountable for their actions, you will fail to lead them effectively. If you fail to hold people accountable, they won’t learn from their mistakes. This means that they won’t improve their performance, and they will make the same mistakes again. If you don’t hold people accountable, you will send the message that their mistakes don’t matter. This will undermine the confidence that your team members have in you.
Becoming Combustible
This is a common problem among leaders who have been in their positions for a long time. If you’ve been doing the same job for a long time, you will likely get an opportunity to see a lot of different situations, yet feel taken for granted. Old Reliable. Mr. or Ms. Dependable. Feeling taken for granted often results in combustible . You need to take what you’ve learned from your experiences to sustain your passion and create a better workplace for your people. Doing so will help you to lead yourself and your people more effectively while keeping your staff engaged.
Giving the “Dark Side” Too Much Freedom/ Not Paying Attention to Institutional Values
It’s important that you give your team members enough freedom to express themselves. At the same time, you need to make sure that they don’t go off the rails. If you give the “dark side” too much freedom, you will fail to keep the organization’s core values at the heart of everything that it does. This is particularly important in organizations that have a clear set of values. If you fail to incorporate your values into every aspect of your team’s work, they will fail to meet their targets. This means that your organization will fail to meet its targets. If you want to be an effective leader, you need to make sure that your values are at the core of everything your team does.
Wrapping Up
Being a leader isn’t easy. You have to be consistent, flexible, and decisive. You have to set clear expectations for your people and hold them accountable for their actions. You also need to encourage people to give you honest feedback so that you can improve your leadership skills even further. It’s not an easy job, but it’s one that can be very rewarding if you’re willing to put in the work. These mistakes are ones that many leaders make, but they don’t have to be part of your story.
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2022
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a career and leadership coach who worked as a recruiter for more than 40 years. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 2300 episodes. He also hosts Job Search TV on YouTube, and Amazon, as well as on BingeNetworks.tv for Apple TV and 90+ smart sets.
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