Common Leadership and Management Mistakes
1. Misinterpreting One’s Intent
Are you aware of the real motivators in your team? A hint: it’s probably not just about the money!
A common error made by leaders is to believe that their team members are solely motivated by financial gain. It’s doubtful, though, that this will be their primary source of motivation.
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For instance, flexible work schedules or telecommute days may inspire those looking for a better work/life balance. Others will be inspired by things like success, additional accountability, recognition, or a feeling of unity.
Read our articles on McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory, Theory X, and Theory Y to learn what really motivates your employees. Then, to find out how to motivate others effectively, take our “How Good Are Your Motivation Skills?” exam.
2. Hasty Recruiting
It is crucial to have a sufficient number of individuals “on board” to handle the heavy workload your team is facing. Yet, it might be a grave error to take on a position too soon.
Hiring people too quickly may result in hiring uncooperative, inept, or unproductive individuals for your team. They could also slow down other members of your team and need further training. If things don’t work out and the incorrect individual leaves, you’ll have squandered precious time and resources. Even worse, having to “carry” the underperformer will cause tension and frustration in other team members.
You may steer clear of this error by developing your recruiting skills and using extra caution when selecting new team members.
3. Lack of “Walking the Walk”
Can you expect your team members to behave in a same manner if you make personal calls during work hours or criticize your CEO? Most likely not!
Being a leader means setting an example for your group. This implies that you should remain late to assist them if they need to stay late. Alternatively, if it’s a policy at your company that no one eats at their desk, lead by example by going to the break room each day for lunch. The same is true of your attitude: you can’t expect others to be positive if you’re pessimistic yourself occasionally.
Thus keep in mind that your team is constantly observing you. Start with your own actions if you wish to influence others’. They will do the same.
4. Not Assigning
Some managers don’t trust anybody else to complete important tasks correctly, thus they don’t delegate. When they experience stress and burnout and there is a work bottleneck around them, this might lead to serious issues.
Trusting your team to do the task successfully can be challenging, and delegation does need a significant amount of preparation up front. However, you will never have time to concentrate on the “broader view,” which is the responsibility of most managers and leaders, unless you assign duties. Additionally, you won’t succeed in helping your team grow so they can relieve some of your workload.
Try our interactive How Well Do You Delegate quiz to see whether this is an issue for you. If you feel that your abilities may need some improvement, our article on Successful Delegation can teach you some important tactics.
5. Not Realizing Your Position
Your obligations as a manager or leader alter greatly from what they were before.
It’s simple to forget, though, that your profession has evolved and that you now require a distinct set of abilities in order to do your duties effectively. As a result, you are unable to lead and manage as you were recruited to do.
For more information on the extra abilities you must acquire to be a successful manager, see our article From Technical Expert to Manager. No matter how amazing your technical abilities are, if you try to rely only on them, you will fail! Make sure you acquire these talents!