What are the most common leadership mistakes that can be corrected with feedback?

A leader without a clear vision is like a ship without a compass. Let's commit to defining our goals, seeking feedback, and aligning our teams with the organizational vision.

A clear vision is the compass for leadership. Without it, we risk losing direction and diluting our impact. Feedback is crucial in refining this vision, making it resonate with our teams and align with our organizational values. It's about creating a shared purpose that inspires action and drives progress.

Sometimes values, mission and vision gets lost in translation. It is imperative that that each employee, with the support of their manager personalizes the vision and mission to their role, responsibilities and goals. Alignment of mission and vision to personal goals strengthens motivation, engagement and purpose this results in greater employee retention. Also, identifying with the right values is key to intrinsic motivation in the job. Print out the key values and personal mission statement and place it on your wall!

Vision serves as leadership compass to give the earliest signal of lost on track. If the vision and the goals are lacking in leadership, the plan and agenda will suffer. Feedback can help to reinforce the visions and goals and how individual team members under a leadership can play a part to contribute to bring the vision to reality. Set backs and gaps can be identified with feedbacks.

Amongst many leadership mistakes , the most common Leadership mistake ,as per my observation , is micromanaging the team . It leads to demotivation and mistrust among the employees. It is commonly known that a good employee quits the boss rather than the job. Feedback is a great channel to avoid such instances. Interactive communication can support in getting right feedback, thus improvement can take place.

1. Values: Bring your values to life and connect them to every part of your organization. This way, you attract talent that is engaged and aligned with your vision and mission. 2. Communication: It's hard to have crucial conversations. But the more you foster a culture of psychological safety and practice, the easier this becomes- energizing your employees and leaders to be authentic. 3. Jealousy: This destructive energy stems from fear and breaks teams and organizations. You become a stronger leader when you grow your team, so you can grow too! 4. Lack of DEIA: Organizations that don't prioritize DEIA will not be sustainable. Do the work- build an inclusive and equitable environment, and then attract diverse talent.

Feedback is a powerful tool for identifying and correcting common leadership mistakes. Some of the most common leadership mistakes that can be corrected with feedback include: 1. Lack of Communication 2. Micromanagement 3. Lack of Recognition 4. Failure to Delegate 5. Ignoring Feedback 6. Inconsistent Leadership 7. Lack of Empathy 8. Failure to Set Clear Expectations By providing constructive feedback and coaching, organizations can help leaders recognize and correct these common mistakes, ultimately improving their leadership effectiveness, team morale, and organizational performance.

Relinquishing control .. it's a tough one to do but if you trust your team, the people YOU and your senior team put in those positions - watch the magic happen. " Oh, I'm entrusted to lead this/complete this/run this". It's a game changer. Practice what you preach is an oldie but goodie. Be the change you want to make. If you trust the people, who ARE your business and let go of the control as a CEO/Leader etc, you'll see a huge change for the better!

Lack of vision and clear goals can lead to significant leadership mistakes. Without a clear direction, leaders may make decisions that are reactive rather than strategic, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. Furthermore, without a defined vision, leaders may struggle to inspire and align their team, resulting in disengagement and decreased productivity. In the absence of clear goals, leaders may also fail to prioritize tasks effectively, leading to wasted resources and unfocused efforts.

Some of the common leadership mistakes - lack of clear vision and execution plan without changing the goalpost frequently that causes confusion and lack of direction. Listen to your teams without being judgemental - they have a lot to offer as feedback. Empower, Encourage and Support - Give them a sense of purpose. The leader needs to see himself/herself as a person that the team looks up to, is approachable and available. Leadership is a responsibility rather than an authority.

Communication skills are foundational to addressing and rectifying nearly all common leadership challenges -- without them, none of these points could be productively addressed. Articulating a clear vision, delegating tasks appropriately, inspiring and engaging team members, and fostering an environment of continuous development are based on effective communication. It's the conduit for giving and receiving feedback, collaboratively solving problems, and cultivating a positive, productive workplace culture. Without strong communication skills, the effectiveness of leadership in any other area is significantly compromised.

Leaders often expect their people to be mind readers. They expect them to know the vision, the goals, the roles and what doing a good job looks like. They also often think that they are the most knowledgeable person on their team. Both are myths. Therefore a good leader articulates and clarifies constantly and consistently. They ask thoughtful questions and listen before changing processes, systems, workflow, the physical environment, and cultural aspects of the team. This requires real maturity and insight as well as humility. All too often these are not the qualities of leaders chosen for leadership roles. Often the people chosen are those who appear confident. We need to get beyond stereotypes if we want exceptional leadership.

Leaders often struggle with communication due to various factors. 1. The demands of leadership roles can lead to prioritizing tasks over people, inadvertently sidelining the importance of clear and empathetic communication. 2. Assuming their message is understood without seeking confirmation, leading to misinterpretations. 3. Diversity of teams in terms of backgrounds, perspectives, and communication styles also poses challenges, requiring leaders to adapt their messaging for clarity and inclusivity. Fostering an environment that values open dialogue and feedback can significantly improve this critical leadership skill.

Falha na comunicação e falta de escuta ativa podem ser prejudiciais para a liderança. A comunicação precisa ser o quanto mais clara e específica possível para que o time não tenha dúvida sobre o que está sendo passado. É importante levar em consideração o perfil do nosso interlocutor para que possámos adaptar nossa forma de comunicação e torná-la mais assertiva. Uma prática interessante nesse sentido é pedir feedbacks após uma conversa para identificar se a nossa mensagens foi bem recebida e entendida da forma certa. Escutar com atenção é um outro ponto que destaca grandes líderes. Mostrar interesse genuíno no que o outro nos comunica, nos ajuda a entender melhor as demandas e a criar laços de confiança e engajamento cada vez mais fortes.

Leaders often assume their message is understood as intended. Feedback can highlight misunderstandings and encourage leaders to clarify their expectations, goals, and the reasoning behind decisions.

This one is simple, and it can also be very challenging, depending on what you're used. The easy way to think of it is this: Listen to understand first, NOT to respond. When you listen to understand, you start automatically asking good, curious questions to help the person process what they're saying. You also automatically listen and hear things you wouldn't hear if you were just waiting for your turn to talk. When you're waiting for your turn to talk, you don't care what the other person has to say, and you are much more prone to being reactive than creative. Focus on curiosity and understanding, then you can respond accordingly.

Reflecting on my corporate experience and my coaching practice, I have witnessed leaders face challenges that, with a touch of constructive feedback, can transform into powerful opportunities for growth. 1. Lack of Clear Communication: Constructive feedback acts as a compass, guiding leaders to articulate their vision clearly and ensuring their teams are aligned. 2. Lack of Active Listening: True leaders first listen and then speak, allowing everyone to speak about their innovative business ideas, opinions, and thoughts. They are the last ones to express their wisdom.

Leaders often make the mistake of assuming that everyone shares their values and motivations, leading to conflicts within teams. However, understanding individual differences through tools like personality assessments or simple one-on-one conversations can help bridge this gap. Additionally, micromanagement can stifle autonomy and hinder productivity. Instead, leaders should focus on establishing clear processes that empower teams while offering support as needed. By providing constructive feedback and creating an environment of trust and autonomy, leaders can correct these common mistakes and foster growth within their teams.

There's a great story about ex Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, challenged early in his tenure as CEO by one of his engineers who asked "With no coding experience, how can you possibly lead all the engineers in this company?". His response was that there was no job in the company that he couldn't do better if he had the time to dedicate to learning it. "But the fact is I'm best at being the CEO, so I'll do that". In this somewhat arrogant response is a great lesson for leaders:know what you are good at and where your time is best spent. Micromanaging isn't making the best of your skills. Delegation of tasks is vital but have a clear assessment in advance of where you are needed and not, and build regular open dialogue for support needs.

Finding the right way to lead can be tough. When I look back at my time as a leader, I see times when I've been too controlling, micromanaging every little thing. This approach made my team feel like I didn't trust them. They lost their drive to be creative and take charge of their work, which made them feel pretty low.Then there were times I went to the other extreme, giving my team too much to handle all at once. I thought I was helping them grow by letting them figure things out on their own. But instead, they felt lost and unsupported, unsure about what I really wanted from them. It's not about being perfect but about being open to change and working together to be our best.

Provide leadership training! Micromanagement often results from people who are promoted into leadership roles because of their abilities and tenure as an individual contributor, but without education or experience in managing others. In these instances, leaders may shift back into what they know how to do best - the work that their direct reports have now been assigned. There are many different leadership styles and many of them can be successful based on that person’s strengths and communication styles. The key is to do the work to find what that sweet spot is so leaders can build trust on their team and facilitate the work getting done.

The key here for getting feedback as a leader to make sure you are not micromanaging or delegating too much: Check. Your. Ego. At. The. Door. And your insecurities, too. Most managers never seek feedback from their team, and never become great leaders. True leaders have to learn constantly. They have to learn what they are good at, what others are good at, what they are bad at, and what others are bad at. They have to learn the best fit among their team to get done the team's job responsibilities while developing and motivating others.

Leaders might micromanage because of a lack of trust in their team's ability or an excessive desire for control. Feedback can help leaders recognize the negative impact of micromanaging on team autonomy, motivation, and creativity, encouraging them to delegate more effectively.

Micromanaging is a grave mistake for a leader to make; it undoubtedly kills creativity and demoralizes your team. If feedback reveals that you micromanage, you must find a way to manage your team effectively while yet allowing them to reach their full potential.

Balancing between micromanaging and delegating effectively is crucial for leadership success. Micromanaging can hinder creativity and demoralize the team, while excessive delegation may lead to confusion and overwhelm. Feedback is instrumental in finding the right equilibrium. Seeking input from the team on delegation effectiveness, guidance levels, and feedback mechanisms helps refine leadership approaches. Understanding how to monitor progress, evaluate performance, and appropriately recognize achievements enables leaders to empower their teams and foster a collaborative and supportive work environment. Feedback serves as a compass, guiding leaders towards a leadership style that encourages autonomy.

A straightforward way of avoiding micomanaging or delegating too much is to use the Skill/Will Matrix. Draw up the quadrants with high will and low will on the vertical side and low skill and high skill on the horizontal side. The bottom left quadrant is Low Will/Low Skill: These people need directing. The top left quadrant is High Will/Low Skill: These people need coaching and guiding. The bottom right quadrant is Low Will/High Skill: These people need exciting and motivating. The top right quadrant is High Will/High Skill: These people need delegating and empowering. Plot your team in each quadrant to enable you to personalise your approach to them. If you support your team with the wrong approach, it will only disengage them.

There are more than 13 leaderhsip styles. Did you know that? Some of them bad, some of them good. However, every style has pros and cons. Finding balance among this crowded theories is not an easy task. In my opinion, in a nutshell: - Delegate for those who have experience, but keep an eye on the progress of the work. - Provide support whenever it is needed. - Provide coaching for newbies, inexperienced team members until they become competent enough, then delegate work to them. - Trust their abilities and follow-up regularly, but don't kill them with micromanagement. Kill them means making them leave you.

One time at work, I realized that my leadership approach was swinging between micromanaging and delegating too much. In my experience, finding the right balance is crucial for team productivity and morale. One thing I have found helpful is seeking feedback from my team on how I delegate tasks and provide support. This feedback has enabled me to adjust my approach, empowering my team to take ownership while ensuring they feel supported and valued. By finding this balance, we've fostered a more collaborative and high-performing work environment.

In my experience: - Neglecting Employee Development: Overlooking employee growth is a leadership blind spot. Constructive feedback sheds light on the importance of investing in the development of team members, creating a culture of continuous learning and career progression. - Ignoring Employee Well-being: Neglecting employee well-being impacts morale and productivity. Feedback highlights the need for leaders to prioritize the mental and physical health of their teams, fostering a workplace where individuals can thrive. - Failure to Acknowledge Achievements: Leaders sometimes forget the power of recognition. Feedback acts as a spotlight, urging leaders to acknowledge and celebrate achievements.

The most valuable thing a leader can do for themselves, their teams and their organizations is to invest in their own development every single year. Attend a conference, hire a coach, join a mastermind group. Anything that allows for continuing to learn about yourself and what exceptional leaders are doing elsewhere is a significant benefit. Patrick Lencioni said on a John Maxwell podcast that as leaders get higher on the org chart, they neglect direct leadership and development of their immediate reports. That's a major flaw and red flag for executive leaders to be mindful of. It can be easy to think "well, they've got it" but the reality is everyone needs leadership, perspective and accountability.

Leaders might micromanage because they worry about their team's performance or just want to keep a tight grip on things. On the flip side, some may delegate too much because they're hesitant to take on responsibilities or feel overwhelmed. Asking for feedback helps correct these habits by creating a more open and honest workplace. Getting input from the team shines a light on a leader's management style, helping them find a good balance between being hands-on and letting their team take the reins. It's a bit like seeing the way your actions affect the team's work and then making tweaks to how you manage that keep things humming along smoothly without stifling anyone's creativity.

The absence of learning and development opportunities can lead to significant leadership mistakes within an organization. When leaders do not prioritize continuous growth and improvement, they risk becoming stagnant and outdated in their approaches. Without access to training, workshops, or mentorship programs, leaders may struggle to keep pace with evolving industry trends and best practices. This can result in poor decision-making, missed opportunities for innovation, and an inability to adapt to changing circumstances. Furthermore, a lack of investment in learning and development can contribute to low employee morale and retention, as team members may feel undervalued and overlooked for advancement

I would say “not knowing yourself and your team members” is a key issue. Paying attention to our own triggers and seeking help for knowing our blindspots is so crucial to lead the team. We can only lead others where we have been. Else it’s pointing a direction for them to go but where we are not willing to go ourselves is not really walking the talk.

Top down approach (Leadership style) Only Buzz words from the Leadership Employees not being heard Lack of visible, demonstrated commitment of the leadership Lack of employee's engagement Not to place the right people for the right job Favourtism Nepotism

We're all a work in progress all the time. The best teams that I've witnessed develop the habit of taking time to reflect on where they are so they can continually develop. We need quality feedback. We're notoriously bad at over-estimating our own skills. Getting honest opinion outside ourselves is the only way to counteract this bias. How we all solicit feedback is vital. Making sure the giver is comfortable enough being honest is the real skill here. If you react badly, you'll damage your chances of getting feedback in the future. Internalising the feedback with patience (even if you disagree!) is essential. Feedback on how we are doing in anything we want to become better at is absolutely priceless. It really is the greatest gift.

I strongly advocate for collaborating with learning and development teams, a privilege I've enjoyed throughout my career. Working closely with highly effective teams in past roles has consistently yielded positive results. Neglecting personal or team development is like running a business without a growth strategy—a missed opportunity for advancement. Continuous learning is essential in today's competitive landscape, fostering innovation and achieving organizational goals. Investing in development initiatives cultivates excellence, empowers teams, and ensures long-term success.

I’ll focus on developing oneself since I focused on a learning culture elsewhere in this article. We all have blind spots. There’s no exception because we’re human. Often these blind spots are barriers to our own growth limiting our capabilities. And if they’re blind it follows that they aren’t revealed until they are shown to you in a safe, trusting environment. That’s why continued professional development is important. In this example, vertical development frequently with a coach.

Self-awareness is the first of of CCLs Fundamental Leadership Skills … using the Leadership Circle Profile 360 with good facilitation and coaching is a great way to accelerate and accompany one on their leadership journey.

Every team needs a coach. Real leaders can take a project, or a set of tasks, and build a sense of pride and purpose around the effort. Communicate regularly with your team. Set achievable milestones. Celebrate successes. Provide frank, constructive feedback. The strongest teams understand WHY they're doing something, and take satisfaction in the value of their contribution.

Communication issues are a huge struggle for many leaders. Who needs to know what message and when? I am famous for dashing off communications quickly to get them finished. This is fine if speed is desired. But I often have to remind myself to take a breath and re-read my messages.

Ask yourself, how likely am I to do something I was told to do? On the other hand, how likely are you to do something that makes sense to you and you see the value? It is more effective to understand what are the motivators for the team. Ask your team about their thoughts, approaches and inspire them to be creative about the actions necessary to achieve the goals you and the organization require of them.

Also, leaders need to learn to express appreciation regularly, creating a culture where team members feel valued and motivated to contribute their best. It's like creating this awesome vibe where everyone feels seen and fired up to bring their A-game. When leaders make a point to show appreciation often, it sets the scene for a workplace where everyone's feeling valued and super pumped to give their absolute best. It's basically turning the dial-up on team motivation and making the whole place buzz with positive energy. So, leaders, go ahead and sprinkle those appreciation vibes – your team will love you for it!

Neglecting to inspire and engage the team is a common leadership mistake that can lead to reduced commitment and productivity. Feedback is instrumental in addressing this issue by providing insights into the effectiveness of leadership behaviors. Seeking input from the team on inspirational aspects, leadership style, and collaborative efforts helps refine leadership approaches.

The level of engagement of your team will closely dictate the quality of their work. Team members who are more engaged and inspired tend to produce higher quality work because they are more motivated and committed than others. An effective way to foster engagement is to give your team members opportunities to own projects that they are interested in and passionate about. Allowing them to take the lead is not only a great development opportunity, but also fosters a very strong sense of ownership, resulting in high quality work.

Feedback in der Führung ist ein wesentliches Element, um eine Atmosphäre des Vertrauens und der Offenheit zu schaffen. Durch effektives Feedback können Führungskräfte zeigen, dass sie die Entwicklung ihres Teams ernst nehmen und bereit sind, in ihre gemeinsame Zukunft zu investieren. Dies erfordert eine sorgfältige Balance zwischen Zuhören und Kommunizieren, zwischen Führen und Ermöglichen. Ein solcher Ansatz fördert nicht nur die individuelle und teambezogene Entwicklung, sondern trägt auch dazu bei, eine motivierende und inspirierende Arbeitsumgebung zu schaffen.

One time at work, I noticed that my team's motivation and engagement were waning, which reflected a common leadership mistake of not inspiring or engaging them effectively. In my experience, this can significantly impact team performance and morale. One thing I have found helpful is actively seeking feedback from my team on how I inspire and engage them. This feedback has provided valuable insights into areas where I can improve my leadership style and behaviors to foster a more positive and collaborative work environment. By incorporating this feedback and continuously striving to inspire and engage my team, we've been able to boost morale, productivity, and overall satisfaction.

To inspire and engage the team: Regular Communication: Keep your team informed about the organization's goals, vision, and progress. Communicate openly and transparently, sharing information about company news, challenges, and successes. Encourage two-way communication and create opportunities for team members to share their ideas and feedback. Empowerment and Autonomy: Empower your team members by delegating authority, providing opportunities for decision-making, and allowing them to take ownership of their work. Encourage autonomy and trust their judgment, while offering guidance and support as needed.

Grundsätzlich kann man jemanden nicht von aussen motivieren. Motivation entsteht immer in einem selbst, und ist sehr persönlich. Als Führungsperson kann genau da angesetzt werden. Was bewegt meine Mitarbeitenden? Was sind ihre ganz persönlichen Motivatoren? Weshalb machen sie, was sie machen? Und wie kann ich sie dazu inspirieren, mutig einen Schritt weiterzugehen?

Talking the talk without walking the talk is something that leaders have to be really mindful of. This means not just making sure your actions match your words; but that all your actions match all your other actions. This ensures that all your messaging is lined up nicely and is consistent which then goes a long way to building credibility and trust as a leader. Being aware of everything we say and everything we do is critical.

Overall, not being open to feedback consistently or narrowing the list of who is qualified to give feedback. Leaders lose their "coachability" over time and need to practice having a growth mindset and proactively asking for input and coaching. I've done research on derailed leaders and the number one problem is not being open to feedback!

Trying to address issues or problems through a single lens of past experience may not work because what worked in the past may not even be relevant in the future. Learning opens up mind to innumerable possibilities. Feedback for leaders must include developing the ability to listen, observe and continuous learning.

Winning too much is a habit that haunts even the most successful leaders. Developing an awareness on this ineffective habit can open up a realm of co-creation possibilites with others. It fosters better relationship building and nurturing it. One of the best ways to increase awareness on this is to seek feedback on our participation approach, choice of words we use, powerstyle we demonstrate, etc. In addition to feedback we can also recieve feedforward suggestions from others that can help us overcome the habit of winning too much and winning always.

Demonstrating a lack of empathy and compassion. If your team witness this, they will pop it in the deeply subconscious 'hmmm I don't feel safe around you' bag of memories.... eroding psychological safety and preventing your team from reaching their full potential. This is observable, and can be fed back to the Leader, so long as the observer knows what to look for and isn't cut from the same cloth as the Leader.

Understanding the shadow they give and how that needs to influence their voice when the speak and how they communicate. New leaders often fail to consider how much of an impact what they say has on the team.

Humility. Nobody knows everything. We talk about having cultures of learning...but how can we have that if the top never learns from their mistakes? The best leaders I've seen admitted when they were wrong and engaged multiple perspectives. The worst had the narcissistic tendency to think they were always right and then blame others for the consequences.

Another mistake leaders make is misunderstanding middle leadership or management roles. When you choose to lead,you owe it to yourself and others to understand what it means. Many leaders misunderstand themselves as managers. They are more into managing everything else instead of finding ways to align and influence their team players and drive team spirit. Feedback can help them to balance organizational goals and impact through coordinated actions, meaningful conversations and intentional and active listening.

You typically receive more feedback when you are early in your career, the higher you get, the less direct feedback you receive. It become more indirect, where results of your division or company give you an indication of how you're doing. That is helpful of course, however it only focuses on task-oriented skills. What all leaders need is self-awareness. The more senior you get, the more complaisant you may become when it comes to self-development, and as such the less self-aware you become. Seeking feedback and listening with an open mind is crucial to keep your edge and continue growing.

Feedback is essential for leaders to address common mistakes and improve their leadership skills. Key areas for improvement include communication, avoiding micromanagement, providing consistent feedback, active listening, and recognizing team members' contributions. By receiving and acting on feedback, leaders can cultivate a positive work environment and foster growth among their team members and correct common mistakes, improve their leadership skills, and create a more positive and effective work environment.