Think You’re a Great Leader? These 5 Habits Say Otherwise
We all like to think we are great leaders right? You may think you are the best example of a good leader, making the best decisions for the team, and leading the success of the team.
But, what if your team members think otherwise? Or what if everything you do may actually be sending the wrong message to your members?
No one is perfect, you might still have the time to pause and rethink your approach to ensure you can be the best leader of your team. Check out these five habits that make a leader a “bad leader” in the eyes of the team.
1. Inflexible
Inflexibility is the perfect example of bad leadership. When a leader is inflexible, it leaves little room for new ideas and employees may also feel unheard or unappreciated. Flexibility is never harmful as it is a way to encourage creativity and adapt to changes in a fast-paced environment.
2. Nobody knows what is going on
If you see your team is constantly in the dark and lacking direction, it is time for you to redirect the team to ensure every member walks towards the same goal and together delivers the desired outcome. Make it a habit to communicate clearly and regularly to avoid misunderstanding, confusion, and mistakes in the team.
3. Micro-managing
Do you always feel the need to control every aspect of your team? You might think it’s necessary, but excessive supervision could potentially harm the team in the long run and eventually restrict learning opportunities. Therefore it is important to have strong trust in your team and consistently keep lines of open communication to ensure efficient and effective workflow.
4. Lack of emotional intelligence
Leadership is not just about leading or managing tasks, but it is also about understanding and managing people. To be able to connect with your team, you need to have strong emotional intelligence. Otherwise, you might find it difficult to relate to your team which later will indirectly lead to demotivation within your team, high turnover, and even create a toxic work environment.