I have been in leadership roles for over three decades now. I’ve led large and small teams in business, government, church and nonprofits. Along the way, I’ve learned there are leadership missteps which can limit a leader’s potential to lead well.
My heart is for leaders. One of the primary purposes of this blog (and our podcast) is to share simple leadership principles I have learned; many the hard way. Often a simple idea is powerful when put into practice in your context.
Do you want to be successful as a leader? Of course, anyone who leads has this as a goal. There are some leadership missteps which can limit your potential to lead well.
7 Leadership Missteps That Limit Your Potential:
1. Trying to plan or control every detail.
Ecclesiastes says you won’t plant if you watch the wind. Risk is always necessary for meaningful success. Is there something you feel certain you need to do – or there is a passion on your heart – but, for whatever reason, you’ve not taken the risk?
Leadership by definition involves guiding people into an unknown.
2. Lack of flexibility in leading.
Things change. People change. Times change.
Have a great worthy, God-honoring vision – make sure it’s grounded in truth and don’t steer from it, but realize the road to accomplish it may change many times along the way.
Changing the way things are done to be more successful is not a bad reflection on leadership. In fact, it’s a characteristic of good leadership.
What changes do you currently need to encourage?
3. Shunning or controlling some of the people on your team.
You can’t do it alone. No leader has all the good ideas. You need help.
One of the default actions of leaders is to isolate themselves and/or to control the actions of others. Many times this is out of fear, lack of trust, or sometimes even pride.
Leadership involves knowing people. It involves utilizing the knowledge, skills and talents of others – actually people better equipped to do some things than you are at times. And this should exclude no one on your team. Every person can bring value to the organization or they shouldn’t be there.
Who on your team is just waiting for you to get to know them, believe in them and let them go?
