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The Top Mistakes Executives
Make in Leading
Their Organizations:
Four Tips on Common Leadership Pitfalls to Avoid
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By Don Wells |
Editorial Note:
In my experience, both personally and from interacting with a number
of senior management, we all could be more productive if we took to
heart leadership tip number three. There is nothing complicated
about practicing this leadership technique (particularly the part
about "being
caught up in day-to-day details"),
but it is often overlooked or downplayed. And yes tip number one
applies to many in a leadership role. Take a look.
Kay
Graham-Gilbert
In today’s uncertain economy, many organizations have been making
some drastic changes to stay competitive and productive. This means that
CEOs and other executives have to hone their leadership skills to make
the most of what they have and encourage and inspire their teams to new
heights of achievement. |
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But not all executives have leadership down to a
science. Leaders might be armed with plenty of technical skills and
experience, but may still be making some critical mistakes in managing
with their teams that can negatively impact their organization’s bottom
line.
An employee-centered culture ensures a customer-focused culture. One
common leadership mistake is a lack of team-building skills.
Honoring the team—each individual—is one of the most important
leadership characteristics in today’s organizations. If, as
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a leader, one of my
primary concerns is not the welfare of my team, then I’ll never know
just how successful we can be. That positive regard for your people
leads to the best customer service, the highest level of contribution by
each team member and the highest profits.
Here are four other common executive leadership mistakes:
Failure to make decisions or delaying the process and losing a
competitive advantage.
Perhaps being too afraid of making a mistake is a
mistake! Most executives make good decisions when they actually make
them, but many are fearful of taking any risk, delay too long in taking
necessary action and lose important opportunities.
1. Lack of people skills
Remember that your employees are your most
valuable assets and can give an organization its competitive edge. The
ability to listen, be consistent and evoke trust is crucial in managing
a team and creates an atmosphere of commitment and pride. Be sure to
avoid asking for feedback from employees and then doing nothing about
it.
2. Not investing in your people
While most executives see the
return on investment in maintaining and improving equipment for their
company, the investment in one’s employees through providing career
development and coaching opportunities pays off even faster. Missing
such opportunities to improve morale and ensure retention can eventually
damage a manager’s credibility.
3. Wasting time on the insignificant
Use your employee resources
and trust your key people with decision-making responsibilities. Giving
more autonomy to responsible staff members will free you up from putting
out fires that can be handled by others. Also, remember that planning
months ahead rather than being caught up in day-to-day details lends
itself to effective leadership.
4.The old adage still applies, ‘Criticize in private, praise in public.’
A
good leader coaches constantly, not just during yearly performance
reviews, and is constantly acknowledging the great things employees do
while being able to recognize and discuss areas for improvement along
the way.
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Don Wells is the senior vice president and general manager of leading
career services company Lee Hecht Harrison's Los Angeles office.
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