Do you ever get frustrated by some of the behaviours of your leaders?
Here are some of the worst:
- Insisting on telling. The aim is to save time, though that doesn’t work, does it?
- Pretend listening. Punctuated by them interrupting the very explanation they might have asked of you. You can see them pretending to listen as they think about what they are going to say next.
- Talking about their expectations, instead of seeking to make agreements.
- Focussing on what can be fixed and remaining silent about what’s working. Bottom line – no acknowledgement. The problem spotting habit.
- Speaking in terms of ‘I’ instead of ‘we’ or ‘us’. Especially when there’s a win.
- Wearing the Ms Right or Mr Know-It-All mask. You know it’s a mask because you can sense the inauthenticity.
- Standing over your shoulder and micro-managing you. They say they’re trying to help, but really, they either don’t have the guts to trust, or they are terrified they’ll be held responsible, or both.
- Asking ineffective questions – ‘Who told you to do that?’ ‘Don’t you know?’ Habits learned from incompetent teachers perhaps?
- Beginning a communication from above with the expression “Whilst I don’t agree with this…’ Really, please hand in your leadership badge, you’ve just compromised yourself scaredy-cat.
- Trying too hard be popular or liked, instead of respected. They haven’t accepted the realities of leadership yet.
Do you have any others?
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