Do you want to be a great leader of your home business? Avoid these common mistakes bad leaders make:
Thinking that they have all of the answers
This is a common issue among the leaders. They think that they are the smartest and the most aware of what should be done. So, they never listen to anyone who opposes their opinion. This is even worse if there is a chance of a company failing because of this.
A good leader knows when and how to ask for help outside of leadership. People from other departments and on lower organizational levels have better insights and they can be of help.
Slow on making decisions
Leaders have to be ready to make decisions fairly quickly. They have to always know what would be best for each element of the company starting from profits and the results to employees and various other elements.
Of course, they have to think about it carefully, but quickly.
No growth or learning
Good leaders always learn and grow, even when they become leaders. However, those who usually believe that they know it all, make this mistake as well. They think that they are so good that they don’t need to advance. These leaders are usually not very good and people often dislike them. This opposition to learning and growing is what is making them unadaptable and too rigid for the modern business environment.
Talking more than listening
Leaders need to listen. This is one of their main jobs. They listen for various reasons and with various goals — for example, they take the information someone gives them and turn it into decisions. They listen to consultants and act upon their advice. They are also supposed to listen to the employees and provide them with help. Bad leaders don’t do this and that’s why they fail.
Unclear vision, demands and expectations
A good leader should always have a clear vision of what they want and need from their employees, what they want to achieve and what they expect. They give clear directions as well. Bad leaders only confuse their employees with vague explanations and unclear demands which results in poor outcomes not just for the leader but for the entire company.
They don’t criticize enough
Leaders want to be liked — which is understandable, who doesn’t — but leadership isn’t all about being loved. People need to respect you. They need to value you. And they can’t value you if you never criticize them.
Criticism isn’t always a bad thing. It can be good as well. It can make them get better and do better. It can help them learn. Good leaders always criticize when necessary, bad ones never do.
They are reactive, not proactive
Bad leaders often make a mistake of being a person who reacts to events in or outside of the company. However, they are not supposed to be the reactor, they are supposed to be a proactive person creating things for other people to respond to.
They are not good communicators
Leaders need to communicate with a lot of people. This means that they have to be excellent and persuasive in talking with people from all levels of the company and outside world. They can’t be solely focused on their own department or industry. They have to be versatile enough to be able to discuss important things with everyone.
They are serving themselves
Leaders are there not to serve themselves but the whole team. They are there to help the team operate like one single entity. The team isn’t there to serve the leader; the leader is there to serve them.
They look for approval
As a leader, you are never supposed to look for approval. Don’t make decisions or do things because you think that someone will like you for it. Some of the greatest leaders were doing their own thing. Only bad leaders look for someone to approve their actions.
They don’t connect with customers
Bad leaders make the terrible mistake of alienating themselves from the customers. They think that knowing and understanding the audience is someone else’s job, not theirs. But who better to get to know the consumers than a leader?
Once they get to know the customers, they can build strategies and adjust their goals to better suit what they have learned. However, this is an ongoing process that should never stop. Leaders need to communicate and engage with their audience on social media, through their website, public speaking, seminars, webinars and so on.
Hiding in their office
Some people seem to think that being a leader means sitting in a big, beautiful corner office overlooking the city, being a person everyone fears. These leaders only work with people that are in higher positions than them, don’t know anyone’s name in the office and inspire fear in people that work for them.
This is a terrible mindset. A good leader needs to be on the floor, communicating and interacting with people, solving conflict and problems. The leader needs to be respected, not feared. He needs to be seen as an authority figure but also someone you can go to when you have a problem.
Being too friendly
The flip side of the coin is being too friendly. This bad leader cracks jokes and gets a tad too personal with his employees. He doesn’t have boundaries and therefore, he’s not respected but rather considered a buddy. People then don’t feel the responsibility to fulfill their tasks because this leader will always help them and cover for them.
The core of this leader is that he wants to be liked by everyone. Loved, even. The worst thing for this bad leader is for someone to get mad at him.
Not setting an example
There is also a type of a leader who doesn’t seem to think that he needs to do any work. For example, they don’t think that they should stay late or come early and that even if everyone works during holidays, he shouldn’t. He’s the boss after all.
But this is a bad way to set an example. If you are slacking off, your team will follow. Even if they come to work, there will be no productivity. Their boss is somewhere enjoying a drink. They will want one too.
However, a hard-working boss is always the first one to come and the last one to leave. This inspires people and makes them want to do more.
Not employing a diverse team
Some leaders like to employ people that are similar to them in mindset, skills, experience and so on. This way they create a boy’s club, a shield of people who think the same so no one can disagree.
But this is not good for the company. There is no critical thinking, no brainstorming. And what you get are stale ideas and bland solutions. A good leader should hire a team of diverse people — people with different skills, mindsets, experiences and so on. This way, when there’s a meeting, all of these professionals can come up with a great idea together through creative discussion.
These have been some of the most common reasons leaders fail. In order to be a better leader, you need to avoid these mistakes and become a true leader in your company.
