Common leadership and
management mistakes

Advice on how to avoid making some typical errors

By Angela Civitella

Here are 8 common mistakes leaders make. If you can learn about these here, rather than through experience, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.

1. Not providing feedback

Feedback! Feedback! Feedback! Don’t you want to know when you screw up? Hell, I do! Always make time to give constructive feedback so that you give your people the chance to shine! According to 1,400 executives that have been polled throughout the US, failing to provide feedback is the most common mistake that leaders make. So, come on, do it and help make your people great!

2. Not making time for your team

You need to be available to your team. A work environment where the boss is within reach is much more positive and productive for your team.

Yes, you have projects that you need to deliver. But your people must come first – without you being available when they need you, your people won’t know what to do, and they won’t have the support and guidance that they need to meet their objectives.

Your team come first – this is, at heart, what good leadership is all about!

Always make time to give constructive feedback so that you give your people the chance to shine!

3. Being too “hands-off”

Who wants to be micromanaged? Not me! However, to give a little attention during an important project is a must – you certainly don’t want to deal with a team member having misunderstood how to execute a project and end up with a disgruntled client!

4. Being too friendly

The right balance between being a boss and approachable to your team is a forever quest! Too much of one and not enough of the other just don’t work. Don’t dim your power because you want everyone to like you. After all, it’s your team’s respect and willingness to give their best to you that you’re after, remember that.

‘Your team come first – this is, at heart, what good leadership is all about!’

5. Failing to define goals

Help your team properly define goals. When your people don’t have clear goals, they muddle through their day. They can’t be productive if they have no idea what they’re working for, or what their work means. They also can’t prioritize their workload effectively, meaning that projects and tasks get completed in the wrong order. So, dedicate time to properly establish goals and objectives so that everyone knows what to expect from each other.

6. Not “walking the walk”

If you want to shape your team’s behaviour, then start with your own! Don’t take personal telephone calls during work time, or speak negatively about your CEO! If you do, can you expect people on your team not to do this too? Probably not! Part of leadership requires you to be a good role model. So, ask of your team what you are prepared to do. They are watching your every move – don’t forget that.

‘… dedicate time to properly establish goals and objectives so that everyone knows what to expect from each other.’

7. Not delegating

Some managers don’t delegate, because they feel no one else can execute the task as they would. Talk about stressing yourself out and welcoming a burnout!

Delegation can be hard as it requires for you to trust your team to do the work correctly. The only way to develop talent is to test it. So what if they don’t get it right away, with enough trust and belief, you will be surprised at how much your team wants to shine for you.

8. Misunderstanding your role

Once you become a leader or manager, your responsibilities are very different from those you had before. However, it’s easy to forget that your job has changed, and that you now have to use a different set of skills to be effective. This leads to you not doing what you’ve been hired to do – leading and managing.

Knowing you’re the boss takes preparation and skill. The need to develop into an effective manager or leader is not for everyone. Those with a vision for their company, their team and how they wish to place their vision in the world need apply. The rest, just watch and follow.

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Read also: How to be in charge of your life and career