Leadership Cloud: Leaders, Avoid These Paralyzing Human Mistakes

Most leaders picture the sky and limitless success for their organizations not a leadership cloud that paralyzes them and their agendas. To keep the leadership cloud from rolling in, avoid the following human mistakes that paralyze everyone.



Leadership Cloud: Image is Dark Clouds

Leadership Cloud: Human Mistakes That Paralyze Leaders. Image by Miroslav Petrasko via Flickr.

Miroslav Petrasko via Flickr Creative Commons License.


10 Human Mistakes That Create a Paralyzing Leadership Cloud

The call to lead and serve is a call to overcome your human weaknesses for the good of others. When leaders give in to their own human weaknesses, they create a leadership cloud that darkens everyone’s path and blocks results. Avoid these leadership mistakes:

  1. Making leadership all about you. Leadership is about serving others.

  2. Flip flopping conveniently to suit your moods or personal needs. It lessens your credibility and creates a leadership cloud.

  3. Speaking and playing primarily to a subset of those you lead. It shuts out everyone else with the message you don’t matter. Now you have isolated yourself and your subset in a leadership cloud.

  4. Letting your personal fears drive your leadership. Leadership is not about self-preservation. Tap all your strengths to serve others.

  5. Talk but rarely question or listen. Talking makes you feel secure and in control. Yet without listening to other’s input, you are leaving yourself in the dark. That’s scary. Interact, listen, and connect with everyone.

  6. Sidestep your mistakes. Nothing screams immaturity more than a person who cannot own their mistakes. And the phrase a child will lead them does not work when the leader is an adult. Build other’s confidence in you by admitting your mistakes, apologizing for the impact, and fixing what you break.

  7. Blame others and create a culture of blame. Great leaders breed accountability not blame.

  8. Shame others. When you shame people, you show your hateful vengeful nature. It destroys respect, trust, and loyalty. Now how can you lead?

  9. Not adapting your style to evolving situations. If you aren’t adapting to developing situations and changes, you’re not leading. You are hiding from the truth. Be adaptable. “It’s not the strongest nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that’s most adaptable to change.”
    ~Charles Darwin

  10. Broadcasting & preaching vs. conversing and communicating. You will come across as a carnival barker or boardwalk huckster. This does not command respect, trust, nor loyalty. Be brave enough to communicate with people.




What other human mistakes have leaders made in leading you?



From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

Related Posts:
Leaders, Convert Blame to Accountability, Part II
18 Things Respected Well-Liked Leaders Consistently Do

©2017 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission and guidelines. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.


Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.



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2 Responses to “Leadership Cloud: Leaders, Avoid These Paralyzing Human Mistakes”

  1. Alli Polin says:

    These are spot on, Kate. I’ve recently worked with a leader who thought that one of his greatest strengths was singlemindedness on the path forward. He knew best, he knew the way forward, he determined the steps and outcomes. People were told to get on board or get off the train. Collaboration, brainstorming, and mutual respect were not words that hit his thoughts or vocabulary often.

    Will share!

    Alli

    • Kate Nasser says:

      Thanks Alli. As I read your description of the leader you recently worked with, I got a cold chill for those working for him. I feel for them!

      Always glad to read your examples as they expand these posts so well.
      Grateful,
      Kate

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