4 Signs You Have Room to Improve As a Leader

The majority of leadership articles tend to focus on the positive traits and attributes that contribute to highly-effective leaders.

That's great and all, but what about those ineffective leaders who don't realize they're lousy at leading.

If you've spent any appreciable amount of time in a business setting you've seen or worked for one of these uninformed inpiduals.

你是他们中的一员吗？ And how would you know?

The truth is that very few executives have the moral courage or fortitude to speak the truth to the top bosswhen that inpidual is a lousy leader. It's the classic story of the Emperor's New Clothes --the clueless leader doesn't realize their supreme levels of lousiness.

To help, here's a quick check list of signs that yourleadership approach is unimpressive.

1. You have only one leadership gear.

The demands on leaders are daunting. They need to make the toughest decisions, solve the thorniest problems, deal with the crankiest customers and manage the messiest issues.

Thisvariety of demands requires a fluency and fluidity of various leadership style applications.

A management consultancy firm,The Hay Group, has identified six distinct leadership styles: directive, visionary, affiliative, participative, pacesetting and coaching. Thebest leaders, whatever theirdominant leadership preference from that list, can readily flex their management style across this leadership spectrum depending on a variety of situational dynamics.

Lousy leaders tend to use only one of these styles all the time. These types of leadersare"hammers" whobelieve that every problem is a nail --that's a sign of a lousy leader.

2. Youtend to motivate by fear.

There are a variety of ways to motivate employees. Goodleaders motivate their teams in many ways -- inspiring them to a noble purpose; building an esprit de corps; strikinga competitive spark; mapping a path to a better tomorrow; appealing to a powerful emotional response -- just to name a few.

The worst leaders motivate by fear. 58003 Fear lasts longer than love."

If you're nodding your head to that quote andaspire to the Tony Soprano style of leadership, you've probably identified a developmental gap in your leadership style.

3. You push others to the rear.

One of the best business books ever written is Good to Great, by Jim Collins, who introduced the concept of Level 5 Leadership. It is a paradoxical blending of professional driveand humility. He states thatthese pinnacle leaders demonstrate humility, will, ferocious resolveand a willingness toacceptblame for negative issues and give credit to others for positive outcomes.

Lackluster leaders tend to seek success and thespotlight at the expense of others --ultimately to their own inpidual detriment.

4. You won't listen towhat you don't want to hear.

The quickest path to failure is to not listen.

Lazy leaders have this skill nailed and they'redestined to fail as a result. Any executive who doesn't seek out andhear input from their key stakeholders, such as employees, customers, relevant third parties or a board of directors, won't last.

Those stakeholders hold golden insights toward your organization's future --ignore them at your own risk.

Nobody wants to work for a lousy leader, but leaders don't want to admit when they're lousy.

Awareness is the key to change and without that keybad leaders will remain locked in their confining pattern of lousy behaviors.