Yesterday I posted 6 leadership mistakes people persecute themselves with. I didn’t want to make the mistake of offering an incomplete list.
Tolstoy hinted at the massive opportunity for blunders when he wrote, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
Leadership Mistakes Part Deux
(See items 1-6 here)
#7. Treating everyone the same
Fairness treats everyone the same.
Sameness insults uniqueness.
Aristotle taught us to treat equals equally and unequals unequally.
High performers need challenge. New performers need clarity. Discouraged performers need support.
Treating everyone the same guarantees you treat people wrong.
#8. Creating artificial urgency
Leaders become manipulators when everything is urgent. Eventually people roll their eyes and ignore them.
Artificial urgency destroys confidence.
#9. Using email to solve heated issues
Cowards hide behind email. Email during hot situations…
- Multiplies misunderstanding.
- Inflames emotion.
- Neglects humility.
- Delays resolution.
#10. Talking without action
Theory is toothless leadership. It feels smart, but wisdom begins with action.
Talk creates the illusion of progress. It drains urgency and hides responsibility.
Action energizes talent.
#11. Believing silence is buy-in
Silence is space leaders fill with wishful thinking.
Silence…
- Masks confusion.
- Hides resistance.
- Feeds ego.
- Rewards disengagement.
#12. Overestimating your competence
Success in one area makes you dangerous in another. You see the myth omni-confidence when movie stars sell cars on TV.
Success has many parents; you are only one.
Stay curious, not cocky.
The most important thing you do happens after you do something dumb. Embrace reality. Act with humility.
What are the top three dumb leadership mistakes?
What dumb leadership mistakes can you add?
Self-Sabotaging: Why We Do It and How to Stop the Cycle
