Everybody makes mistakes. Even if you are a business shark, there might still be some mistakes that you commit, unawares. Sometimes you realize certain things, only when they are pointed out to you. It is always a good thing to know the error of your ways. Only then can you correct them promptly and be the best, out there.
In this article, we will point out a few business leadership mistakes that you have probably been committing, without even realizing it.
Ineffective communication:
The first and foremost area where you have to make sure, that you’re not making any mistake in, is communication, more specifically, effective communication.
This is where most people stumble. As a leader, the way you convey a message to your employees must be very precise, exact and to the point. Miscommunication leads to misinterpretation, which will invariably lead to inefficient work. Misunderstanding is one of the fastest ways to crumble a newly progressing leader.
Micro-managing:
We all do this, at some point or the other, and the worst part is, we never realize it most of the times.
A good leader needs to realize that the company or business, runs on teamwork and not his or her individual work alone. And teamwork means, certain responsibilities assigned to certain people, and trusting those people to get that work done.
As CEO of West Face Capital, Greg Boland recognizes the impact of team work. Leading to improvement always sounds much more efficient, which is a great requirement from a leader and its team. Greg Boland has been directly involved in a number of successful campaigns and is known as an expert in finding value in severely distressed companies.
You don’t have to go around cross-checking every single thing, to make sure that it gets done. When you do this, you’re only wasting precious time and slowing down the process, as well as adding unnecessary pressure and strain on yourself. Micro-managing also tends to make the rest of your team annoyed and is one key business leadership mistake to try and avoid.
Attitude and behaviour:
Your attitude and behaviour towards the employees directly reflect upon the outcome. When you have a bad attitude, or take out your personal problems on the employees, it puts you in a bad light. Similarly, your behaviour; there will always be someone watching you. So, make sure that you always behave professionally, polite and express good attitude. When all this is done right, you gain the respect and trust of your employees, which is very essential for you to be a good leader.
The insufferable know-it-all attitude:
This is a character we are all too familiar with. There are certain times you may have behaved this way too. But make sure to stop and evaluate yourself once in a while, to avoid such a leadership mistake. You may know a lot, compared to your team-mates or employees, but you cannot claim to know everything, because that is impossible. There’s always something new to learn from someone, or somewhere. So, ditch this attitude and you would be golden.
Self-doubt and hesitation:
Self-doubt is something everybody wrestles with. At some point we are all faced with a situation that might make us doubt our abilities. But don’t let these get you down. Always strive to rise above your self-doubt and whatever you do, do it without hesitation. Hesitation is an indicator of your confidence level. When your employees feel that you don’t have enough confidence, it automatically unravels the image you’ve created for yourself, at the workplace.
These are a few common business leadership mistakes you need to look out for, and avoid, or overcome, in order to become better at what you do.