Leadership isn't easy. Anyone who's ever served in a position of leadership knows that people can be difficult, and the responsibility of equipping and guiding them can be challenging. Here is a list of ten things that can and most likely will ruin any leader if not tended to quickly enough.
1. Laziness:
A leader will get results that are equal to the amount of work that is put into leading. The lazy leader will fail to equip volunteers, employees, and followers, who will then in turn look for a better leader elsewhere. Your people will do just as much as you do, so if you want productivity, set the example and get your hands dirty.
2. Envy:
When a leader is caught up looking around at the success of the leaders around them, they miss out on the golden opportunity God has placed in front of them. Each leader has a unique calling, and that calling can be missed when a leader is too busy wishing he had the organization or success of another leader. Cheer for the success of others, and they will be glad to help you reach yours.
3. Blaming Others:
A leader who is constantly pointing the finger at others is a leader who is pointed towards failure. A true leader will assume responsibility for mistakes and errors in their organization and will spend more time seeking a solution and less time seeking a scapegoat. A leader knows that when a follower fails, it usually points to miscommunication or a lack of training from the leader.
4. Lack of Vision:
The easiest way to steer someone off track from their goal is to give them two destinations. A leader knows what they want, and is not distracted by flashy opportunities elsewhere. Until the goal is reached, a leader does not pursue outside ventures that can jeopardize or prolong the completion of the primary goal.
5. Procrastination:
When a leader continually pushes a responsibility to a later date, the leader shows an inability to follow procedure and a lack of concern for the deadlines of others. This leader has little regard for others, and only prioritizes his own to-do list. Procrastination also hints at a fear of failure for small tasks and can cost an organization. This leader will likely end up causing the organization to pay interest rather than collect interest. Be wary of the procrastinating leader.
6. Being a "Yes-Man":
A leader who cannot say "no" is not much of a leader. This leader finds himself overly-committed to many things that he or she does not want to do. This leader runs the risk of burning out, selling out, or running out of funds to pursue the ultimate goal of the organization. It is okay to say no, especially to an opportunity that does not fit the mission and vision of the organization the leader is in charge of.
7. Ego:
When a leader finds himself unable to listen to the criticism of others, he is in serious danger. This leader carries a "know-it-all" attitude that will take his organization to the grave if not dealt with. This leader will ignore warning signs, and is unwilling to learn new things. This ego will cause the business to either fail or plateau, and followers will begin to see the lack of growth and seek opportunity elsewhere.
8. Savior-Complex:
When a leader begins to feel as if they are the reason for the success or well-being of their followers, they adopt a savior-complex that places their followers in a position of dependence. This leader now has unreasonable expectations from his team and is surprised when his followers aren't brimming over with exaggerated appreciation for all of his "hard work" and "care".
9. Thin-Skin:
This quality pushes a leader to make changes whenever they are faced with criticism and insult rather than investigating into whether the remarks are valid. This leader is easily swayed by any comment about their leadership, appearance, company, or team and operates out of a very sensitive spirit causing them to rarely take risks and be manipulated by a team member with a personal agenda. This leader barely realizes that they are a leader, and instead tries to please his team in order to gain friendships and avoid pain.
10. Lack of Integrity:
This leader operates out of self-interest, and will break the rules for personal gain and comfort. This leader is on vacation while on the clock, spends the organizations funding on personal expenses, and may even gossip about team members. This is the most dangerous quality, especially in our day and age where there is easy access to records and information spreads so quickly through any department. The truth will expose this leader eventually, and their credibility will be destroyed. This leader is ridiculously fortunate if they ever get a second chance to lead, and will have to do some major trust-building in their new organization.
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