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10 Mistakes Leaders Should Avoid at All Costs

8. Spin Doctoring.

Many Corporate PR departments teach executives to provide carefully crafted answers to questions to conceal the true facts. Present the facts, tell the truth, communicate the complete story, and let the chips fall where they may. This does not mean you should divulge key strategies and give away competitive advantage, but the truth is ALWAYS the truth, while lies will come back to haunt you. My team would spend too much time crafting the right story, which in hindsight was a waste of time and energy. A better use of that time is to meet challenges and problems head on and to communicate openly and honestly, not “spin” a story.

9. Short-Cutting.

Some companies spend an inordinate amount of time flirting with the gray areas, and engaging in accounting tricks. The ethical, values-based, and successful leader understands the law of the farm. As another ancient script says, “do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” At its most basic level, there is no substitute for the natural laws of business. Develop prospects, cultivate relationships, determine needs, propose solutions. It’s a tried and true process that takes time and skill. There is no substitute for methodical execution. I was impatient and succumbed to the temptation of circumventing the natural process through faulty techniques and flawed actions.

10. Short-Term Focus.

Wall Street and shareholders are maniacally focused on short-term gains. “What will you do for me next quarter?” is the mantra of the short termer. Don’t cannibalize future results to satisfy the present quarter. If your strategy is solid, stick to your guns, let it work, and remind everyone that you are in it for the long run. We became so obsessed with making the immediate quarter that we severely impacted future business. As a result, we started the following quarter already behind. This continued to compound until we dug such a hole for ourselves, it was impossible to climb out.

These are the ten things that I discovered can make or break the most charismatic, energetic, brightest, and hardest-working leader, and also the company.

Question: How would rate yourself on these leadership mistakes? 
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enriquefiallo@churchleaders.com'
Enrique Fiallo's life experience includes roles as a Author, CEO, CIO, Chief Technologist, Scrum Master, Speaker, Lecturer, Instructor and Teacher. He has skills in Process Engineering, Strategy Formulation, Organizational Design and Development, Team Dynamics, Information Systems, Agile and Scrum Software Development and Engineering, and Business Operations. My Industry experience includes healthcare, transportation, logistics and supply chain, technology and networking, utilities, quick service restaurants, management consulting, and education.