Top Reasons for Leadership Fails

Reducing the Risk of Leadership Failure

The world’s greatest leaders know that success is fleeting and that no amount of success in the present can prevent a future failure. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it can’t happen to you, but the truth is, it’s much easier to fail than you think. An essential part of leadership development is understanding the warning signs that indicate potential problems; learn what they are and how to combat them to reduce the risk of a leadership failure.

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Leadership Question: Are you able to write down your focus area in just a few words?

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Your Focus Shifts

A focus shift can happen in many ways. Some leaders lose sight of what’s important; they get caught up by the pressure that leadership brings, and they lose the focus that they had on the job. In some cases, leaders start to focus too much on the finer details of the job, they start micromanaging, and they end up taking over tasks that are better carried out by other people.

What’s your primary focus in terms of your leadership role? If you can’t write it down succinctly in just a few words, you may be losing focus. Remember that you should be concentrating on leading, not on micromanaging.

You’re Communicating Poorly

If you’ve lost focus as a leader, you’re going to have a very hard timecommunicating your vision and intent to other people. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your team will automatically know what you’re talking about or know what you want without being told.

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Leadership Trap: thinking your team automatically knows what you are talking about.

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You’re Afraid of Failure

A good leader is driven by a desire to succeed, but sometimes, doubt and uncertainty creep in, and that desire for success turns into a fear of failure. Past success starts to feel less like achievement and more like pressure, and for some leaders that translates into a fear of taking reasonable risks and a fear of innovating.

Are you still comfortable with risk? Good leaders aren’t reckless, but equally so, they’re not afraid of taking on a reasonable level of risk.

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Leadership Question: Are you taking the appropriate amount of risk?

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Your Personal Integrity is Slipping

This is a tricky one; it’s definitely not something that people like to admit, even to themselves. But sometimes, a discrepancy arises between a leader’s character and the job, and when that happens, it can compromise personal integrity in a way that also compromises his credibility as a leader.

Consider it a warning sign if you’re getting to the point where achieving results is more important than the means of achieving them or if you start taking your team for granted.

You’re Not Taking Care of Yourself

This is an aspect of leadership that isn’t often covered in leadership training, but it’s no less important for that. Leadership can be invigorating, but it can also be exhausting, and a leader can’t stay at the top of the game if constantly exhausted. Don’t forget to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health, and make time for rest and relaxation when you need it.

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“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” –Jack Kornfield

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Your Work is No Longer Fulfilling

Leadership is hard work, but it should be fun and fulfilling too, and the work you’re doing should be meaningful to you. If you’re not feeling that any more, you may just need to remind yourself of what it is about the leadership role that first attracted you.

Don’t Ignore the Warning Signs

Warning signs are what protect us from disaster, and it’s essential that they are identified quickly. Take an honest look at your leadership style and the way you’re approaching your work and take action if you feel that any of these warning signs apply to you.

Leaders Require No Fine Print

No Fine Print Required

There I was, staring at the clock. It was late at night, or really early in the morning, and I had a meeting the next morning. Sleep was eluding me. Like a surfer, I would almost catch the wave to take me where I needed to go, but then it would dissipate before I could get going.

I tried deep breathing. Prayer. Meditation. I have never sought pharmaceutical help, but I have tried various herbal remedies. That’s when I remembered that I had purchased a new product that had melatonin in it. Melatonin is a hormone that supposedly helps with sleep. There have been times when that has been an aide to me, so I wandered downstairs to try it. Getting back into bed, the exhaustion once again seemed to take over…

Bam!

Suddenly, I was wide awake. Completely wired as if I had three cups of coffee. Not only was I no longer tired, I had a surge of energy. When that happens, I get up and read a book or do something productive around the house.

A few hours later, I picked up the bottle.

There, in the fine print, I read the words on the label. “Valerian.”

Valerian is an herb that helps some people sleep. I tried that before many years ago. I was one of the small percentage of people who don’t react with sleep, but in the opposite way. Apparently, this pill had a nice dose of it mixed with the melatonin.

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“Leaders require no fine print.” -Skip Prichard

Pow!

How often do we read the fine print? How many times do you see an asterisk and read that footnote?

Nothing is more important than our character. A reputation or personal brandbuilt without character inevitably fades, fails, or fizzles. Integrity is solid. When we have it, our friends can rely on us; our business partners trust us, and even our competitors admire us.

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“Personal brands built without character fade, fail, and fizzle.” -Skip Prichard

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Leadership and Punctuation

When others see you, do they see a hidden asterisk? Do they have to read your fine print? When others watch you, do they put a question mark behind everything you say, not knowing whether it is trustworthy?

Integrity requires no fine print, no disclaimers, no footnotes, no explanations, no question marks, no parenthesis, and no asterisks.

Say what you mean. Do what you say. Let others debate you, question you, and even disagree with you, but don’t ever let them feel like they need to peer closely to read the fine print of your life.

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“Integrity requires no asterisks or footnotes.” -Skip Prichard

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