Whether it’s professionally or personally everyone wants to be led and to be regarded as a good leader. However the reality is that some people are simply not cut out to be leaders and are just not in tune with the qualities that make up a good and even great leader. And if we are being totally honest with ourselves, in some instances if we pause and take stock of our own behaviours, neither are we.
The truth is that everyone can fall short of their own estimation of what qualities is considered to define a 'good or great leader. But certain qualities are universal about bad leaders and if you are a leader personally or professionally and recognise any of the following in your own leadership style then it's time to ditch your current behaviour/s and upgrade your leadership style.
1. Dismissive - Being flippant, dis-respecting and showing disdain to any outside input culminates into poor leadership and is actually because it's being fuelled by the following trait …
2. Egotistical - Leaders with an over inflated ego tend to be regarded as arrogant and self- centred and often accept praise when others are successful and are quick to blame on others for their failures. They also tend to be unapproachable, which deters others and encourage poor communication between themselves and their team.
3. Unsympathetic - A lack of compassion, empathy and simply not caring about your employees is guaranteed to make them feel unimportant and unappreciated, which in turn will lead them to distanced themselves from your leadership and/or find one where their contribution is encouraged and celebrated.
4. Indulgent - Creating a safe space is the hallmark of good leadership. Allowing and permitting an environment that fosters dissension, strife, and arguments is a sign of poor leadership. If you have ever experience first hand living or working in an environment where this has been allowed to breed unchecked you will know how truly debilitating and overwhelming the affect on your overall psyche this can have and one you will not want to encourage or overlook if your aim is to be a leader.
5. Non transparent - A lack of clear direction because of hidden agendas will frequently put employees up against a wall of confusion. Granted, a leader should not necessarily reveal everything to their team (for example, pay grades and salaries), but when it comes to operational goals, it’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page.
6. Vindictive - Holding on to a personal offense and letting it affect your interactions with everyone and influencing the work environment is motivated by ego and creates a hostile environment. In contrast, a good leader forgets personal offense and moves on, as their main focus is on creating a functional and productive space.
7. Overworked - An overworked leader is stressed, short-tempered and also more importantly, is failing to set an example of a successful work-life balance to their employees. Learning to delegate effectively will alleviate your stresses in the workplace and you will be more able to manage your personal responsibilities outside of work.
8. Inconsistency - It is impossible to create a functional environment when the person in charge is indecisive and is prone to constantly changing their directives. You can never meet their expectations, as they are continually moving the goal post which may results in wasted time, money and even competitive advantage in business.
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By|womenwhoslay @womenwhoslay