Guest Article for The Mommies Reviews Do’s and Don’ts of Every Good Leader by William F. Merck II July 28, 2023
Do’s and Don’ts of Every Good Leader
If you ask employees in virtually any organization what makes a good leader, there will be a common list of attributes. If you ask what the characteristics of a bad leader are, a common list of leadership mistakes will be revealed in their answers.
Most leadership mistakes are simply the opposite of the “Do’s” of a good leader. Here are the most frequent slip-ups leaders make. Flip these and, yes, you’ll have the secrets of a good leader.
Common Mistakes Leaders Make
- Looking to others to make tough or controversial decisions;
- Micromanaging;
- Taking credit for the work of others;
- Living in the past;
- Losing touch with the organization’s current direction;
- Being afraid to make mistakes;
- Ignoring current trends in hiring and workplace matters;
- Expecting consensus on all decisions;
- Failing to recognize their staff’s significant achievements in a public way.
Let me expand on these leadership drawbacks. It’s difficult to call someone a leader if they continually defer to others when faced with a tough decision. This trait will cause those higher up on the organizational chart to have serious questions about the worth of such a “leader.”
As you’ve probably seen, micromanaging staff leads to a loss of morale, hinders career growth, and diminishes the desire for independent thinking.
Taking credit for a subordinate’s work is a sign of a loser. It is a true morale killer, and will be seen by others as a sign of the leader’s insecurity.
A leader relying on their successful approach to solving problems that happened twenty years in the past fails to recognize the changes in the work environment since that time. Certainly, a good leader considers lessons learned from their career history and experience, but they also understand a successful approach to a problem must fit in the context of today’s world.
Effective organizations are constantly adapting to changes in the economy, the work force pool, skill sets and education, competition, and customer preferences. It is imperative for a good leader to be in sync with the company’s current strategy and overall direction so that they are effectively deploying the assets for which they are responsible.
Being afraid to make mistakes is a serious flaw in a good leader. This fear often leads to procrastination in making tough decisions, which becomes a mistake in itself. This behavior will be noted by staff and lead to a loss of trust in the leader.
Ignoring trends in the increasingly diverse workforce can lead to misunderstandings and poor communication. This, in turn, leads to diminished productivity and loss of the leader’s effectiveness.
Expecting consensus on all decisions is not realistic. Complex situations requiring some action should result in robust discussions examining alternative paths forward. These discussions often result in several alternatives recommended, some passionately. In the end, the leader must evaluate the alternatives presented and make the final decision as to what action to take. A good leader relies on personal integrity and judgment to make the call, and accepts responsibility and accountability for whatever the outcome.
Recognizing a significant achievement by a staff member in a public way is a tremendous boost to morale. Whispering “thanks” in their ear is nice, but that is nothing compared to acknowledging the achievement in a public forum.
Being a good leader is not an easy road to travel, but is extremely rewarding if done with honesty, integrity and a desire to help others be successful.
William F. Merck has a lifetime of experiences in the working world that contributed to his success in a variety of leadership roles. He is the author of So, You Want to Be a Leader: Secrets of a Lifetime of Success and Breadcrumbs: Finding a Philosophy of Life, a book about how early experiences and the environment in which they take place set the stage for a personal understanding of what and how life works. For more information, please visit williamfmerck.com.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
