7 Ways Leaders Screw Up Their Teams

There’s a myriad of ways that exceptional leaders fall short every day. But, most rebound through hard work and perseverance. However, there are several leadership behaviors that, if allowed to go untamed, will sabotage a leader’s ability to engage staff and prohibit them from building a team that reliably performs.

Here are the seven behaviors that must be eradicated from your repertoire, if you ever want to become an outstanding leader:

Hero Syndrome: If you’re always trying to be the one that saves the day, brings in the “big fish” and, otherwise, wants to steal the show, you will never garner the trust and respect that you need among your peers or subordinates in order to motivate and lead. After all, you horde information, seldom share status and never give others a chance to shine. Most workforce “heroes” eventually get shot in the back. Before you do, seek to establish esprit de corps and harvest the benefits that come by being in it together with your team.

Credit Thievery: Nobody likes it when their ideas get hijacked. Don’t be a credit stealer. Instead, practice giving credit to your team when they deliver. By doing so, you will motivate them to consistently give you their best effort.

Work-Life Indifference: If you’re one to assign work and set deadlines with no appreciation of the effort or time it will take to get the job done, you will burn your people out and motivate them to seek greener pastures–ones where there may be a more balanced expectation.

Learning Moment Blindness: Developing a team of competent people is a leader’s responsibility. Staff members want to feel that their leader cares enough about them to invest time and energy in making them better. But, if you’re blind to those opportunities to teach and to help them to learn and to develop then you’re letting them down. Failure to develop your team leads to failure.

Solo Artist: If you never seek the advice, input or council from your team (the people who actually do the work every day) you’re a solo artist! But, guess what? You’re people feel marginalized and disrespected as a result. I you keep this behavior, you’re doomed. Rather, create opportunities to collaborate by calling short, huddles and seeking team member and colleague perspectives on problem solving and planning.

Micro-Managing: Trust and self-confidence develops among your team when they are allowed to get the job done without your incessant need to control every action and orchestrate every moment. A good team needs space to perform, learn to trust them and they will begin to trust you!

Parochial Thinking: Whenever a leader finds themselves considering a management option that is better for them than it is for the organization, they are falling prey to parochial thinking. If you build a reputation as a shameless self-promoter, who is constantly look out for “number 1″, chances are high that you’re despised by all of your colleagues.

To close, most of these behaviors are a result of unbridled selfishness and /or a dangerous lack of self-confidence. Work on those aspects of human behavior, that are in all of us, and you’ll begin to position yourself to develop new behaviors–ones that promote trust, fair play and teamwork, while extending the confidence and modesty you need to be a leader that everyone wants to follow. 

Source: http://www.inc.com/james-kerr/7-ways-leaders-screw-up-their-teams.html