Lucky you if you’ve been promoted to leadership. You’re now in charge of the people who used to report to you, and you have whole responsibilities that come with the role of leadership. However, suppose you haven’t been in this position before. In that case, leaders make some common mistakes in the leadership role that can prevent them from getting the results they want out of their position, including not being aware of what these mistakes are. This article will help guide you to avoid some of these common mistakes to achieve success as a leader.
- Choosing The Wrong Goals
The most common mistake that leaders make is choosing goals that are inappropriate for their role or responsibilities. While it’s true that there’s no right way to lead, a leader in a corporate position will face different challenges than a manager who runs his own small business, for example. The leader of a team will likely have other plans from a regional manager—and so on. Therefore, choosing goals needs to be tailored to fit each leadership position and situation.
- Failing To Take Action
In any leadership role, there are going to be obstacles that you must work through. As a leader, you can’t afford to let those obstacles get in your way—you need to find solutions and drive people forward. If you’re not moving forward in some way every day, it’s easy for your business or organization to suffer as a result. Great leaders mold themselves up for success by acting when necessary and pushing forward even when times are tough.
- Lack Of Communication
If your team isn’t informed about what’s going on, they can’t be a vital part of problem-solving. Negligence of communication can also lead to mistrust within your company and even job dissatisfaction. At their core, influential leaders are communicators.
- Lack Of Follow-Through
In a leadership role, there are a lot of times when we don’t want to do something because it feels like an unnecessary chore or isn’t what we want to be doing. However, sometimes it’s necessary to do things that aren’t exactly what we want in our role as leaders. It might not be fun, but it is our job to see it through.
- Failure To Adjust When Necessary
While it’s great to have an ironclad plan for your business, it can sometimes make more sense to modify your objectives on a case-to-case basis. For example, if you know that one element of your marketing strategy isn’t bringing in as much revenue as you hoped, consider cutting it and replacing it with something new instead of continuing to throw time and resources at a dead horse. Similarly, if you come across an area where someone else is excelling, but you aren’t (for example, maybe another department can take care of some logistics while yours focuses on driving engagement), learn from them and participate. Sometimes we struggle because we refuse to change when necessary, so don’t be afraid to pivot when needed.
Conclusion
There are many challenges that leaders face daily. Fortunately, there are resources available for new and established leaders like Kris Thorkelson to help them succeed. Kris Thorkelson has decades of business experience spanning from the retail pharmaceutical industry to real estate. If you feel like you’re struggling in your leadership role, it might be time to follow the above points or seek outside help from experts or from peers who have been there before. You won’t regret it. Being self-aware is just as crucial as being well-versed in what your organization does.
