16 Ways CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot
Lack of effort isn’t the problem for good leaders.
Smart people do dumb things and sincere leaders make stupid mistakes.
16 ways CEOs shoot themselves in the foot:
#1. Going it alone.
It’s your own fault if it’s lonely at the top. For goodness sake …
- Get a mentor.
- Hire a coach.
- Form a leadership group of your peers.
#2. Putting your head down and plowing forward instead of reconnecting with the big picture.
Keep your eye on the goal, but adapt as you go.
#3. Putting off nasty jobs and tough conversations.
It’s one thing to prepare, but it’s self-sabotage to delay.
#4. Failing to acknowledge and compensate for weaknesses.
Ego thinks it’s good at nearly everything. You’re really good at two or three things. That’s it.
#5. Listening to your gut on technical matters.
Intuition helps you understand values, but has little value when solving technical problems.
#6. Judging people by the stories you tell yourself about them.
Always confirm your judgement with the people involved.
#7. Repeatedly solving the same problems.
The solution to recurring problems is a process, procedure, or system.
#8. Doing things the way they’ve always been done.
#9. Ignoring low-hanging fruit and quick wins when projects have distant deadlines.
#10 Neglecting energy management.
Always do important work when you’re at your best.
Know when others are at their best.
#11. Doing what YOU think is important instead of aligning with organizational priorities.
#12 Pulling back when you feel misunderstood or under-appreciated.
Give your best because it’s who YOU are, not because you’re recognized or praised.
#13. Underestimating quiet people.
#14. Over-estimating the potential of untested team members.
Test people in small ways before betting the farm on untested employees.
#15. Delegating tasks instead of giving authority.
#16. Failing to monitor performance.
- Ask for progress reports.
- Help inexperienced people manage time.
- Discuss and identify important deliverables.
Which of the above activities seem most detrimental to leaders?
What might you add to the above list?
Dan, I think your #1–trying to go it alone–not utilizing all your resources is a big shot in the foot.
I would add:
–Trying to please everyone.
–Not having clearly defined priorities.
–Under-delegating (can’t let go).
Thanks Paul. Great additions. I can’t tell you how long it tool to out-grow unhealthy people-pleasing. On your second one, I couldn’t help but think of the leader who chases a new idea or priority every day. Goes back to chasing urgencies.
Trusting your gut on technical matters. Another facet of this is when you take on technical experts, then ignore the facts they provide.
Thanks Mitch. Yes. It takes openness and courage to go with someone else when they offer disconfirming ideas. But, in my experience, it’s often a tipping point.
In the first season of the BBC’s brilliant comedy “The Black Adder” The King (played by Brian Blessed), on being told of the death of an ally, roars “I like not this news! Bring me other news!”
Your number 6: Judging people by the stories you tell yourself about them. This is seeing others as you are instead of seeing people as they are, is a common pitfall. This can causes errors in judgment and tunnel vision.
Dear Dan,
Liked today’s post and its contents! All listed points are quite relevant for leaders to fail for their own negligence and over-dependence. I strongly feel Points No. 1, 2 & 14 are most detrimental.
I would add two more points to this list.
17. Procrastinate important decisions of hiring right professionals from outside at appropriate time to steer future growth and not pumping in required investments in R & D before hand.
18. Allowing a coterie of ‘yesmen’ getting formed and depending on them for taking crucial decisions.
Leaders have to be alert almost all the time and should monitor the progress objectively.
Great post Dan. This not only applies to CEOs, but also to anyone in senior leadership positions. Thank you.
I would add 2 additional points on ways CEOs can shoot themselves in the foot:
1. Micro-manage : My CEO (whom I love and respect dearly) has a tendency to micro manage in certain engineering areas where he has more knowledge and expertise.
2. Not trusting or not listening to your technical experts (similar to #5) : I’ve observed my CEO doing this more than occasionally. I’m certainly not advocating blind trust – that’s foolish in my opinion. However, you hire technical experts for a reason. If you don’t consistently trust their advise and opinions, then why do they still have jobs?