Many leaders who lack self-awareness have a special talent for creating hostile workplaces teeming with uninspired and miserable employees just waiting for the day to end. Why does this happen in so many workplaces? One major reason is that many people in leadership positions mean well but lead unconsciously. They do what they’ve always done and, for many, that means repeating behaviors they saw in their families when they were growing up or that were spread to them by other unwitting bosses. They make the same mistakes over and over, hoping that someday they’ll get different results. Here are ten leadership mistakes that are being perpetrated in workplaces worldwide as we speak by leaders who lack self-awareness:
- Preventing employees from thinking for themselves and making decisions independently.
- Not being able to let go of the need to control people.
- Working out personal problems on one’s employees.
- Functioning in a reactive, disorganized manner instead of planning proactively.
- Creating chaos and confusion by always being in crisis mode.
- Not setting a positive example of how to behave appropriately and effectively in the workplace.
- Constantly assigning duties with no clear expectations or support.
- Talking too much instead of listening actively.
- Not trusting employees.
- Not asking for input, feedback or help.
If you’ve ever worked for someone who does these things you cherish the memories of wanting to find another job or hoping they move on sometime soon. It can be incredibly stifling and demoralizing to work for a leader like this but it’s a common scenario.
The vital question to ask here is whether you do any of these things? If you do, it doesn’t mean you’re evil, just that you have an opportunity to lead more effectively. Any of the examples mentioned in this article can be replaced with a different behavior that leads to more positive results. You get to decide how you behave and what kind of workplace you create.
What will you do to develop self-awareness and lead consciously?
Cheers,
Guy