Are You a Bad Leader?

Made you look.

This post won’t point fingers at you, but will cause you to think.

“When I talk to a manager, I get the feeling that they are important.”

“When I talk to a leader, I get the feeling that I am important.”

Leadership isn’t that simple all the time, but it can be.

There’s a time and place to be hyper-focused and ultra-detailed on task accomplishment.

And even though being warm isn’t a requirement as a leader, how you make others feel when they interact with you leaves a lasting impression.

Think of it like this, from a wellness perspective there is a human cost of leadership.

That means people are either better or worse after communicating with you.

The goal is to have the former consistently.

But how do you do that?

It comes back to leadership development.

1. If you truly care about the team’s success, you could care less who receives the credit.

2. If you truly care about getting the recognition, look behind you…no one is following.

Developing people is hard work and time consuming.

Investing in people is emotionally draining.

• At a time in my career I managed 30 full-time employees remotely.

• I did 30 minute 1:1’s for them weekly!

• Fortunately I love 1:1’s, but that’s not to say it’s not tolling.

You see, I doubt people go into management intending to be a bad leader.

But my question is, “if you truly knew the cost, would you apply for the promotion?”

The shift from being an individual contributor to supervisor can ruin your career (temporarily).

Just know the role shift demands a skill shift too.

Stop viewing people asking your questions as “interruptions.” 

If that’s you, leadership is not your thing.

Interruptions are opportunities to help, develop and challenge your team.

In fact, despite your responsibilities, how willing your team is to contact you (and not be in fear) says a lot about your leadership (approachable).

Where leaders go wrong is when they start seeing themselves as more important than their teammates.

Humility is a needed ingredient along the journey (that is accompanied with self-awareness).

In coaching, I’ve seen it all the time.

Once a client starts blaming others, it’s almost impossible to fix the problem.

That doesn’t mean the leader is always wrong.

But as a leader, you should be willing to take the blame for your team’s failures.

True leadership is a selfless job.

If you’re in it for yourself, it’s time to find a new job.

It’s hard to label someone a “bad leader,” but really it comes down to who you care about the most.

Leadership isn’t for everyone and that’s okay.

• Know why you’re in it.

• Know who you’re in it for.

• Know what you hope to get out of it when it’s done.

I know that’s a lot to think about, but if leaders tackled those questions ahead of time there would be less bad leaders around.

What are your thoughts?

God Bless,

Scott

P.S. If you’re wondering what great leader do instead👇