When you’re chosen or choose to be a leader, you’ll encounter certain roadblocks along the leadership road. We all face them, so fear not. You’re not alone.
Since you’re not alone, lets start sharing some of our struggles. I’ll start with my list. I’ve come up with a list of 6 leadership struggles every leader will face one day.
- Unifying the team: With so many different personalities on the team, it can be hard to have team unity. Someone’s always butting heads with another coworker. Learning to unify the team and create a civil working environment is a must.
- Delegating tasks: There’s the struggle of delegating tasks to team members who may be able to do them better than you. However, when you begin delegating, you show your employees that you have trust in their work. If you want to learn more about delegation, Michael Hyatt has an excellent podcast episode on delegation.
- Measuring up: I’ve found myself doubting that I measure up to other leaders. I’m sure you’ve found yourself there as well. This lack of confidence seeps into your leadership and begins destroying it from the inside-out. Stop measuring yourself and realize you’re seeing leaders who are further ahead than you. You’re at the beginning, they may be at their middle or end.
- The desire to be fair: This one may be the most dangerous. We’ve been raised on the ideal of fairness and that everyone should be treated the same. For some reason we see this as a sense of fairness. The truth is we can’t treat everyone the same. There are members of our inner circles who will get more of our time than those on the outskirts. When we try to be “fair” to everyone, we become frustrated because we know we can’t be everything to everyone.
- Keeping the vision front and center: It’s been said that where there is no vision, the people perish. We know it’s critical we keep the vision front and center. But how often do we let it slip into the background? Ensure the vision is being pushed in your organization. Let your team know it’s the backbone and driving force. Keep the vision in the minds of every employee!
- Fear of failure: Lastly, let’s cover the fear of failure. The crippling effects of this fear can be seen through so many companies. It’s visible in the unwillingness to change directions, to make a risky move, and the failure to make a decision. The fear of failure can stop a company dead in it’s tracks. Don’t let this happen to you. Calculate the risks and take the ones that make the most sense.
I think everyone can relate to at least one of these struggles, if not more. They’re common to every level of leadership and something every leader will encounter. Don’t be overcome by the struggle. Face them with confidence and come through on the other side.
Question: I’ve shared my 6 leadership struggles. What would you say has been your biggest leadership struggle? How are you dealing with it? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.