5 Deadly Beliefs That Limit Leaders
Action begins with belief.
Wrong beliefs result in wasted effort.
Ineffective leaders believe wrong things about themselves, others, situations, and organizations.
5 deadly beliefs that limit leaders:
Deadly belief #1. The problem is out there. Helplessness, irresponsibility, and recurring frustration are the result of blame. The first responsibility is taking responsibility for yourself.
Nothing changes until you change.
Leaders who believe the problem is out there, say:
- I can’t do anything about it.
- It’s their problem.
- I’m overwhelmed.
- I’m not responsible.
- I can’t figure them out.
- They don’t understand me.
- No one appreciates me.
Ineffective leaders spend too much time thinking about changing others and not enough thinking about changing themselves.
When you stop growing, you start dying.
Deadly belief #2: Leaders have power to change others. When leaders believe they can change others they adopt strategies and behaviors that create resistance in others. Leaders don’t change others.
Leaders create environments and relationships where others change themselves.
Deadly belief #3: Working harder is the answer. Bias toward action invites leaders to neglect relationships, environments, and experiences. Hard work is a given, but there’s more to success than working hard.
Deadly belief #4: Reserve gratitude and honor for special occasions. I recently spoke at a College in the heart-land of the USA. After the introduction, the audience jumped to their feet clapping and cheering. I believe they do this for all their speakers. It cost nothing and it made me feel great.
Deadly belief #5: It’s not that bad. Recurring small problems are worse than you think. Bad is 5x stronger than good. Don’t solve everything. Believe you must turn the spotlight on awkward issues and work with others to find solutions.
Tip: Bring up awkward topics with optimism. “Woe is me,” isn’t leadership.
Right belief drives effective action.
What deadly beliefs limit leaders?
What beliefs enhance leadership?
Hmmm….. What deadly believes limit leaders? How about “I know more than everyone else” or “I am the leader, so you have to do what I say” (As soon as you say that, you are not the leader), What believes enhance leadership? “I don’t know everything”, “I have a great team (if you don’t believe that, you better change yourself or help your team change)”, “I can help with this problem”, “We can make a difference”, We can move mountains, we can fly to the moon, we can deal with this”
Thanks Bill. Great add. The “I know more than anyone else,” belief is devastating to leaders, their teams, and the organizations they lead.
Such a great one Bill… I like to call that the “I’m always right hat” that so many leaders can get lured into wearing. What enhances their leadership is believing I have something to learn from everyone and every situation.
Nice Dan.
It’s a me against him/her game.
Wrong.
It’s that you do something and how you do it that decides how successful you are as a leader. We don’t have enough good leaders out there for it to be a competition, so don’t worry about who’s watching or whether you are better than. Simply taking authentic action is good enough to qualify anyone in the rank of leadership.
Thanks Richard. I can see how the “me against” others is a distraction and waste of energy. Your insight to take authentic action requires self-awareness and courage.
I must confess that “me against” is a deadly belief that has gripped me in the past.
Ha ha Dan, the whole reason I raise it is that it crippled me for years too, and i have to always be aware of it lurking in my head ready to jump in and sabotage :0
“We don’t have enough good leaders out there for it to be a competition,” what a smart phrase! And even if we did, competition still would likely drive lackluster results compared to collaboration and intrinsically motivated, authentic leadership, as you describe!
Dear Dan;
Great post. One of the best definitions of leadership that I ever learned (and use) is that leadership is about change, improvement and growth, which I apply to people, teams and companies. However, the unstated caveat is exactly what you pointed out, in that leaders don’t change others, but rather, they create the environment and encourage the behaviors that let others change themselves. It is this last part that all too many leaders just don’t understand. Keep up he great posts – I greatly enjoy your insights on a daily basis.
Best regards;
Bill
How about ‘We don’t have time to consider this – we need to get going’? Or ‘In the time all of you want to consider this situation, I can lead our efforts and be at least close to resolving it’?
I would like to suggest adding one additional belief: the conflation between holding a position of authority over others and leadership. The two are too often confused and this leads to some real disappointments with respect to expectations in the interplay between bosses and subordinate personnel…especially when bosses see themselves as “leaders” but can’t figure out why their direct reports hold more influence over others. That’s a very limiting organizational dynamic.
Simon Sinek discusses this exact phenomenon in his books _Start With Why_ and _Leaders Eat Last_.
One deadly belief I’d like to add is “I have to be the super-hero leader”. Putting on a leadership act is not only disgenuine and inauthentic, it leads to burnout for leaders trying to be something their not. Embracing that there are all kinds of great leaders from all personality styles and embracing your unique style will make you more consistent, fulfilled and enjoyable to follow.
Great post Dan!
Tanks Dan I learned a lot Reading you, blessings from Guatemala C.A.
One of my favorites of your posts so far, Dan! The suggestions in the comments only add to the depth of your ideas–a definite sign that you have hit something resonant!
Dan, I would like to suggest the Deadly Disbelief #1 “the problem is out there” is more so a causation for passion rather than one of being a disbelief. Reoccurring frustration is not necessarily a result of blame but rather one of clear vision. The only time that the Deadly Disbelief #1 holds true is if the focus is on “me”. True leadership never focuses on self and always searches for the development of others.
Awesome post Dan! This one is good on so many levels. I especially like points 1, 2, and 4. Leadership at its best is about removing obstacles so the team can be successful, and not trying to use your position to lord it over others. At its worst, it is about using position for personal gain, and others to make a name for self.
I really like the article. There’s another limiting belief: Do as I say not as I do?
Deadly Beliefs can add up quickly,
Heard recently where a CEO passed out the organizational chart to the staff to show who was in-charge….really drives innovation and great ideas from the staff and those working under the staff…wrong. Unfortunately, it kills collaboration and cooperation to drive customer service to the next level when the ideas come only from the top down. Those working with customers on a daily basis have critical input as to the possible affect of future decisions.
Tip: Bring up awkward topics with optimism. “Woe is me,” isn’t leadership.
Not necessarily. Empathy goes a long way, too. For example, taking an optimistic tone when telling your team there will be redundancies just implies that you don’t care that people are losing their jobs. And yes, I have seen that done. It engendered bitterness in those going and fear in those staying.