Every leader has an impact on the team that they lead. You can try to run away from this reality, but at the end of the day, you leave an impact on your team. The key question leaders must ask themselves is if the impact is a good or bad one. Do you often frustrate people you lead?
Every leader wants their team happy. Good leaders want their teams to be passionate, excited and encouraged.
So, how do we lead people down this path?
Here are some ways that you can frustrate the teams that you lead.
1. Do You Frustrate People With Unclear Expectations?
If you want to frustrate your team as much as anything else, do not be clear on your expectations for them.
Too often, leaders are holding those that they lead to an expectation that has never clearly been communicated.
This frustrates people because they do not have a clear picture of what you want, which tends to lead to frustration and ultimately them missing the mark of what you want from them.
The best thing that you can do as a leader is make your expectations crystal clear so that your expectations of those that you lead are aligned with their expectations of the position that they hold.
Here is the bottom line: You cannot hold those that you lead accountable for something that you have never told them.
So, be clear on your expectations.
2. Do You Frustrate People When You Talk More Than You Listen?
High capacity leaders will run from your organization or church if all you do is talk to them without listening to them.
If you want to attract high-capacity leaders (like all of us want), you have to give them a voice.
I find that too many leaders are using people for tasks, and this frustrates the high-capacity leader. They want to give input that can change the task at hand for the better, and if leaders are not giving them a voice, expect your organization to stay the same and for high capacity leaders to leave.
Ask for their input, listen to their ideas and appreciate their honest feedback.
Give them a voice to make your organization better.
3. Do You Frustrate People When You Hold Back Your Appreciation?
Leaders, if you want a simple principle that will go a long way with those that you lead, here it is: Gratitude goes a long way!
Most people tend to feel underappreciated by those above them. Most people feel like what they do is unnoticed by those above them.
Some even think that those above them take credit for all of the work that they do.
Look, if you want your followers to stay in your organization for any length of time, you must create a culture of gratitude within your organization.
So, find someone who you lead today and speak life into them. Write a thank you card. Shoot an email to someone who does something behind the scenes. Fire off a few text messages or Facebook messages. However you feel led to show gratitude, just do it!
People will love to work for an organization that values gratitude and appreciation.
4. Do You Frustrate People When You’re Disorganized?
I have learned that the majority of the people who I lead expect for me to be organized. They expect to hear what time they are supposed to be present. They want to know what is expected of them, and they need to be held accountable for those expectations. They want you to be on time. They want you to model your expectations.
All of these things require organization, and leaders need to be organized if they intend to create a culture within their organization that is exciting.
5. Do You Frustrate People When You reprimand in Front of Others?
The last thing that leaders need to do when there is a problem is reprimand a person in front of other people.
In fact, if you want someone to leave your organization, do this, and they will leave.
Leaders, this is frustrating. We must recognize that people make mistakes all of the time, and when we reprimand people, it needs to be done privately.
Private reprimand always ends better than public rebuke.
No one wants to frustrate those that lead. If you feel your followers are frustrated with you, then evaluate if you are doing these things. If you are, STOP IT!
Above everything, remember this leadership statement from Craig Groeschel, “People are much more apt to follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right.”
This article originally appeared here.
