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Vision, planning, and strategy matter. But so does taking care of your people.
Great leadership isn’t just about strategy, vision, or achieving KPIs. It’s also about understanding and meeting the diverse needs of your team. The best leaders I’ve seen excel in navigating these complexities—and they’re also keenly aware of what not to do.
Previously, I covered seven common leadership mistakes that disengage employees and drain their enthusiasm. Now, let’s explore five more leadership blunders to avoid—culled from 360-degree surveys, interviews with hundreds of employees and leaders, and leadership research.
1. Squashing Your Employees’ Talents
Not recognizing and leveraging your team’s unique strengths is a surefire way to crush morale. People want to use their talents, not just fulfill job descriptions. The best leaders get close enough to their employees to discover their strengths and then free them to use those talents.
Actionable Tip: Have regular one-on-one check-ins with your employees to understand what energizes them and how they can best contribute. This builds engagement and trust.
2. Withholding Information
One of the quickest ways to lose trust as a leader is to hoard information. Why do leaders do it? It’s about control. However, control through secrecy erodes trust and stifles collaboration.
Actionable Tip: Practice transparency. Share as much information as possible with your team to foster a culture of trust and open communication.
3. Being a Controlling Micromanager
Micromanagement also stems from the desire for control, but here’s the truth: it backfires. People who feel micromanaged report low creativity, minimal collaboration, and little emotional safety. Though often well-meaning, micromanagers miss the bigger picture of leadership—empowering others to excel.
Actionable Tip: Shift from managing tasks to managing outcomes. Set clear goals and then give your team the autonomy to meet them.
4. Always Needing the Last Word
Leaders who must always have the last word or be “right” exhibit low emotional intelligence. When this happens, team members become passive and disengaged because their input isn’t valued, especially in times of crisis or change when collaboration is crucial.
Actionable Tip: Build a culture of listening. Seek input from your team and let them know their voices matter, especially during tough decisions.
5. Not Being Available
While high-level strategy meetings with other managers and executives can be necessary for planning and delivering business outcomes, filling your calendar with them at the expense of face-to-face time with employees sends the wrong message. When you go MIA, employees may feel undervalued or like their concerns aren’t important.
Actionable Tip: Create blocks of time for one-on-one meetings or open office hours where team members can ask questions, seek guidance, or just check in. It signals that you’re approachable and invested in their success.
Final Thought
Avoiding these leadership pitfalls won’t just make you a better boss—it’ll create a workplace where employees feel empowered, engaged, and eager to contribute. And that’s when your team will start hitting new levels of performance.
Source: Inc