Ten Mistakes Leaders Make
Here are ten errors that leaders and would-be leaders
make:
1. Fail to be flexible. You may be in charge
but that doesn’t mean that you can undo realities. Competitive pressures
change, the marketplace changes, everything changes. If you can’t
accept change and devote your leadership energy to helping your staff
adjust to those changes, you will never become an effective leader.
2. Failure to recognize the value of lifelong learning.
Great leaders recognize that changing times demand new skills and knowledge
and attitudes and they seek out opportunities to learn—not only through
classroom situations but with the help of mentors. For instance, Jack
Welch turned to Steve Jobs to familiarize him with the implications of
the Web.
3. Command rather than lead. Dictatorial behavior
doesn’t engender followership.
4. Fail to listen. A leader has t listen to many
voices: the voices of the group, outside voices clamoring for a solution
to a problem, voices of the higher-ups in the organization, and the voice
of the marketplace.
5. Think of others’ needs first. Leadership
is a set of responsibilities, not an entitlement to the perks that come
as top dog. A good leader puts the needs of others—employees, customers,
vendors—into the forefront.
6. Recognize that situations change. Savvy leaders
know that they have a limited window of opportunity in most situations
and they need to take advantage of these.
7. Coach others. Just as leaders need to learn
and upgrade their skills constantly, they also have to find ways that
their followers grow in skills and knowledge.
8. Laugh. Good leaders have a sense of humor.
If you can’t laugh over the reality that every crackpot thinks he
or she can do your job better than you, you can wind up very sour about
life.
9. Recognize the muted colors in situations.
Situations aren’t only black and white. There are fine distinctions
in shadings tat are required to solve problems without causing confrontations.
10. Learn from their mistakes. There is no leader
who has never made a mistake. The secret of successful leaders is to learn
from them.
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