Three Common Leadership Mistakes

A team can only be successful as their leader. Being a good leader empowers your team members to produce their best work and continue to grow within their roles. While there are a number of ways to be successful as a leader, there are a few common mistake many first time leaders have a habit of making.

These three common leadership mistakes are:

1. Micromanaging

It’s tempting to micromanage when you first step into your leadership role. Prior to this role, you were used to doing the tasks you are now asking your team members to do. It’s tempting to want to make sure they do them the same way you did, after all, you did them well enough to be promoted. But it’s best to try to hold off on the micromanaging. That’s because micromanaging has the tendency to stifle potential and growth. It also shows a lack of trust in your team. Take the time to get to know your team members so you can understand where their strengths lies, and you will be able to help them reach their highest potential.

2. Hiring the wrong person for a role

It’s unlikely that you will be able to go your entire career without making a wrong hire. However, by asking three questions, you may be able to minimize the occurrence. Those three questions are: What does someone need to be successful in this role? How will I measure their success and offer feedback? Do I have time to help them become better?

3. Wanting to be your team’s friend

As a leader, your role isn’t necessarily to be liked, but to be respected and have a good and reliable reputation among your team. New managers often transition from a peer to a boss, and it can difficult to make that transition smoothly. But if you’re worried about your team liking you, your judgement about their performance can be clouded and you can end up doing harm to the company. This doesn’t mean you cannot be agreeable or easy to talk to, it just mean you should be placing a greater emphasis on doing a good job and empowering your team to be successful.

It’s impossible to be a perfect leader, and in the end, making mistakes is typically the best way to learn. But learning from others’ mistakes can help you avoid them, or recover quicker once you’ve made them, and build a successful team.