These bad habits can stand between you and achieving your company’s goals
One of the blessings of being a Business Coach is that apart from sharing my knowledge and expertise with business leaders that I work with, I also learn a lot from them and I get to understand more the dynamics of every leader. People always say that leaders are born and not made. After years of partnering with unique individuals who run their own company, I have become rather unsure of the truthfulness of that statement.
You see, there are certain behaviors that distinguish the bad leaders, the good leaders and the great ones. A person may start out as a hopeless case — possessing a personality that points to the opposite direction from what a good leader must be. However, leadership skills can be enhanced. And with hard work and commitment, one can certainly ‘make’ a leader.
In my Business Coaching program, one of the central goals is to eliminate bad habits that business owners have in order to make them a more functional, decisive and insightful leader. Sadly, there are several behaviors that most leaders have that thwart their potential to be great. Below are some examples of these destructive behaviors:
Inflating one’s rank and importance
There’s a difference between establishing yourself as a leader and declaring yourself a commanding boss. Even with the best intentions, some business leaders tend to exaggerate or overemphasise their supposed power over their team. If you want your people to work hard for your goals, encourage them to work with you and not for you. Don’t put yourself on a pedestal and act almighty when you can always level with your employees.
Mastering everything at once
Successful leaders are aware of their strengths and weaknesses; they don’t waste time and energy trying to be good at everything when they know there’s only so much they can do in a period of time. Instead of tinkering with everything that comes through your desk, focus on what you’re good at, and toil to become the best at it. For the things that you’re bad at, that’s when you need to learn the concept of effective delegation.
Wallowing in mistakes and refusing to move on
If you’re the type who likes to brood over past errors, it’s going to be rather difficult for you to ever achieve everything. The business world is competitive and ruthless, so there’s always the possibility of a few bumps on the road before you get what you want. Most, if not all, success stories have happened because the person in charge didn’t allow himself to be stopped by failing. People become much better after learning from a failed attempt.
Pretending to be who you’re not
We hear a lot of business people who continue to inspire the world with their courage and innovative minds, and we should all seek to emulate them. But that doesn’t mean we should mimic their every move and the way they handle things. Each business is unique, and there’s no general formula for doing things. You would only be blunting your own talent and potential if you go around dressing and acting like Steve Jobs. Examine your own personality and discover how you can inject yourself in how you would like your company to be perceived. Determine and stick to your own ideals and create a unique business persona that can stand the test of time.
Surrounding yourself with ‘yes’ minions
Don’t get addicted to the pleasure of having people kiss your behind, because in the long run, keeping people who act like clones is pointless and futile. Instead, nurture people who will challenge you. Open your doors to people from different backgrounds and who have the most tendencies to think differently. Having conflicting perspectives allows you to cover all angles and see things in ways you would have otherwise ignored.
Work with a Business Coach like me to help yourself eliminate those bad leadership habits. My extensive clientele consists of companies based in all of the Midlands including Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. Discover how REACH Business Coaching can help you grow your business by attending our free workshops and seminars.
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