Three Leadership Missteps bosses must avoid

Criticizing Others

The first leadership mistake that some bosses make is that they criticize others. Refuse to criticize anyone for any reason. When people make mistakes, you focus on the solution. Focus on what can be done rather than who did it and who is to blame. This is the mark of the superior leader with admirable leadership questions. We all know that destructive criticism is harmful. Personally, we all hate to be the recipients of destructive criticism. Destructive criticism attacks our self-esteem, hurts our self-image and hinders us from reaching peak performance. It makes us angry and defensive. If you must criticize at all, then make sure you give constructive criticisms that the other party will pick corrections from.

Complaining

The second leadership mistake people make is that they complain for any reason. Complainers are always looking for something or someone to complain about. They tend to associate with other complainers. They talk together at work and socialize after work. Complaining becomes a natural way of life for them. But there is a major problem with both criticizing and complaining. In both situations, you are positioning yourself as a victim. When you complain you actually weaken yourself. You feel inferior and inadequate. You feel angry and resentful. You feel negative and unsure. Your level of self-esteem and self-respect will decline as you complain about anything to someone else. If you are not happy about something, you are entitled to bring it to the attention of the other person. If you are not happy with a behavior or an outcome, your job is to actively intervene to correct the situation. You can do this by being objective about the difference between what you expected and what has actually happened. You then invite input on how you and the other person or persons can improve the situation or resolve the problem but never complain.

Condemning Others

The third leadership mistake people make is condemning anyone for any reason. When you condemn other people, you demoralize the listener, and the self-esteem of the other person will be severely lowered. Even in the workplace, when you are talking about competitors or customer, never criticize your competitors. Admire them if they are more successful in some areas than you are. Then, look for ways to produce even better services. Never complain about people and problems outside your business. Instead, use that same amount of mental energy to find solutions. Resolve the problems that led to the complaints in the first place.