There is a lot of information available about leadership out there, and how to become an inspiring leader. Even then, leadership is not something that is easy, and sometimes, even the best natural leaders take years of practice to get to a position of effectiveness. There are many common leadership mistakes made by leaders unintentionally, that could potentially damage the work processes. Here are some of them, and how you can avoid them.
Not taking the time to bond with people
Being a leader who is not interested in bonding with people is on of the most common leadership mistakes made. Bonding with somebody does not require you to necessarily like them. You could simply consider someone an acquaintance or colleague, but still bond with them in conversions that will give you perspective on the kind of insight that they can offer at work. If you do not take the time to bond, your solutions as a leader may not prove to be very successful.
Being unavailable and inaccessible
You will definitely need to delegate tasks as a leader, however, you can do so without emotionally detaching. When you assign a task and walk away and remain hands off, you will be seen as abandoning your people. If you are a good leader, you should know how to delegate and then stay accessible and connected. This does not mean that you are always responsive to every little request. However, it means that you have set up channels for people to reach you through.
Ignoring developing talent
A lot of the time, leaders drive exclusively on the achievement factor and harp on company goals, and in doing so they deny the inherent human need to learn. People love to expand their skills and competencies while they do their work and understanding that crucial factor, is what will make you an exceptional leader. When you prioritize learning, you become a great leader who can spot and develop talent in people who might themselves be unaware of it. You become, quite simply, a talent hunter.
Not providing regular feedback about performance
People will only be able to get to their highest level of performance, if they are aware of the effectiveness. Leaders have the tendency to sometimes rob people of the key to their future by taking away the gift of feedback from them. A good leader is somebody who provides regular feedback to their team and does so in a way that is motivating.
Not taking emotions into consideration
The strongest emotions that we experience as humans are related to loss, disappointment, failure and separation. Just because somebody is at work, that does not prevent them from experiencing such strong emotions in their personal life, and sometimes, this can be reflected in their energy. It is important for you, as a leader, to acknowledge this and give them support, leading them back into the work mindset with empathy.
Like we said before, being a leader is not an easy task, but it is something that is extremely rewarding when done properly. Watch this space for more blogs about leadership and more.
