Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership
By Profiles International
While the business and self-help section of bookstores have numerous volumes
on leadership and how to do the right things, sometimes knowing what the
wrong things are and how to avoid them can be just as valuable.
Here is our list of the "Seven Deadliest."
1. Assuming that your employees know the company's objectives and purpose. So you and your management team have a great strategic plan in place. Who will implement that plan? Even the best plan is worthless unless it is understood and embraced at all levels. Your workforce is the engine that powers your plan. You should integrate your strategic workforce planning with your business planning.
2. Approaching selection and hiring in haphazard manner. Best case scenario – 14 percent of the time you will get a good employee. Worst case scenario – most of the time you will get a less-than-stellar worker and worse, you might get sued. Good hiring practices at all levels improve overall performance and help to deter lawsuits. Rigorous interviews and background checks can help employers form an accurate picture of past behavior, but pre-employment “integrity” screening is a better predictor of future behavior.
3. Assuming that your people are trained. Failing to develop your people’s talents through appropriate training is a massive waste of resources. Many companies spend more time and money negotiating and paying for maintenance contracts on their equipment than they do training their staff. And yet, they claim that their employees are their number one asset.
4. Failing to evaluate and measure. It is easy to fall into the habit of “business as usual;” performing tasks by rote or doing things the same way simply because that is the way they have always been done. You should continually assess your business’ activities. Are they necessary and relevant? If so, then these activities should be tracked to assess effectiveness as well as efficiency. If you can’t measure it – don’t do it.
5. Failing to provide appropriate feedback. Fear of conflict can cause leaders to avoid mentioning unacceptable behavior or requiring accountability. Whether through performance reviews or conversations during the course of daily activities, meaningful, constructive feedback is necessary to produce good performance and to help employees’ career development. In a recent study by Salary.com, of 2,000 employees and 330 HR professionals, two thirds of companies believe their performance reviews are effective, but only 39 percent of employees agree.
6. Assuming that you are doing a good job and that your customers are happy. Have you asked? Assuming that your customers are satisfied simply because you have not received complaints is not necessarily an accurate barometer. Your business should have mechanisms in place to encourage customer feedback. You should listen to, and act on that feedback.
7. Treating employees as a commodity. Any company who has experienced the high cost of employee turnover understands its toll: replacement costs, loss of productivity and decreased morale. Treat employees like a commodity and they will respond in kind - by leaving you as soon as possible for the next best offer.