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It’s that time of year again when we make resolutions for our personal and professional self-improvement. When making resolutions, most people think about things they need to start doing. Exercising. Getting up earlier. Eating more greens. But sometimes, it’s equally important to shed bad habits. If you’re focused on becoming a better leader in the new year, here are five leadership habits to eliminate from your repertoire.
One: Ignoring Small Achievements
Many leaders only applaud their employees once they achieve a big win. However, no win is possible without a series of small achievements along the way. Ignoring those smaller successes sends the message to employees that you don’t notice their hard work — or care. This year, make an effort to applaud small wins and say thank you.
Two: Micromanaging
Micromanagement is incredibly frustrating to employees. It stifles productivity, breeds resentment and lowers morale. Most leaders know micromanagement is damaging, but few know how to identify it in themselves. This year, take a serious look at your style, and if you suspect you are micromanaging (or if more than one colleague tells you you are), make an effort to step back and let your team do their jobs.
Three: Discouraging Failure
Yes, you want your team to succeed, but you also do not want them to be afraid of failure. If they fear failure, they won’t come to you with mistakes, they will not take creative approaches to their work and they will not try new things. Make an effort to encourage failing forward — making it ok to fail, as long as everyone learns from mistakes.
Four: Poor Communication
Whether you don’t communicate enough or you send out 10,0000-word emails to explain one point, there are many ways to fail at communication. Take an informal survey among your staff to find out what their communication preferences are, and then make a plan to adjust your approach. Work on your communication skills to become more transparent and inspire action and innovation in your team.
Five: Taking Credit for Team Success
No one likes working for a boss who takes all the credit for team success and points the finger when the team suffers a failure. Those types of behaviors make employees feel resentful. As a leader, you should get some of the credit, to be sure, but great leaders give credit to the group for successes and take the blame for failures.
If you are looking for more advice on how to improve your leadership skills this year, or if you are looking to hire top talent for your team, contact the experts at PrideStaff today.
