I’ve never met a leader who says he longs to be forgotten. He wants to be remembered. And what does he want to be remembered for? Every leader wants to be remembered for being effective.
Yet there are so many leaders who struggle with being effective.
They flounder trying to get their teams to follow them. They lack the ability to move their vision forward. And they never get anything done.
Image by Mark Miller Gilbert
But what causes this leadership ineffectiveness? Previously, I’d shared 5 reasons your leadership is ineffective. Those 5 reasons were:
You fail to listen to your team
You fail to do what you say
You fail to cast a clear vision
You fail to influence
You fail to communicate clearly
These reasons are still valid for ineffective leadership. Lack of communication, listening, follow through, vision casting, and influence impacts leadership negatively. However, there are more reasons why your leadership is ineffective.
Today’s article will look at 3 more reasons your leadership is ineffective.
3 More Reasons Your Leadership Is Ineffective
1. You can’t stay focused:
Have you ever heard of the “Oh shiny!” or “Squirrel!” phrases? These are used when someone cannot stay focused on a task. They’re easily distracted.
Whether the distraction comes from a new shiny tactic or gizmo, the person goes from one thing to another. Or maybe it’s when they see a squirrel (a new idea, book, seminar, etc) come their way and they begin to chase after that.
Leaders who lack focus have a hard time leading effectively. They’re constantly chasing the next best thing instead of the mission at hand.
Check yourself to see if you’re staying focused or if you’re easily distracted. If you discover you’re easily distracted, find ways to keep yourself on task.
2. You have stopped learning:
One of the worst things a leader can do is to stop learning. Leaders need to continue to grow. Whether this growth is through great personal development books, TV and movies (why yes, leaders can learn and enjoy entertainment!), conferences and seminars, or some other ways, you need to continue to grow your knowledge.
Great leaders never stop learning. You shouldn’t either.
3. You are no longer fit to lead:
Ouch! This one hurts.
Leaders fail. They take the wrong path and choose the wrong things. This takes away from their leadership influence.
Be aware you may be heading down a dangerous path that takes away from your ability to lead and influence others.
If you catch yourself going down this path, make a U-turn. Correct your direction. Find pain partners to get you back on the right track.
Question: What are some other reasons your leadership can become ineffective? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.