A good thought to have in mind as you start the New Year is that the best leaders are characterised by the presence of strengths, not the absence of weakness[1]. Whilst it’s necessary to focus on your own strengths, now is perhaps the best time to address those areas of weakness, putting you in the right frame of mind to make 2014 your best leadership year yet. Here are some of the most common ‘fatal flaws’ found in senior leaders…
- Being narrow- minded. By having their own idea of how things should be done and being averse to change, they lack interest in new, more effective ways of working.
- Failing to act as a strong role model. By not living their own company values and behaviours, they are seen to be actively ignoring the standards required of their staff, who are thus less likely to fulfil these values.
- Failing to focus on developing employees through coaching or mentoring. This can cause a level of disengagement who feel that there is not enough focus on their work.
- Inability to share their ideas of the future with employees. By explaining the end game, employees are more motivated to fulfil their respective tasks to the best of their ability, and understand their role in reaching the company’s goals.
- Lack of strong interpersonal skills. A leader can have all the expertise in the world, but if they are difficult to work with, they can create a negative atmosphere, which in turn causes detachment from employees.
To get more information on how to become a strong leader in 2014, contact The Results Centre at info@theresultscentre.com.