What is a leader? To some people, it is a person that can be depended on no matter what the circumstance is. To others, a leader is an authority figure that is supposed to represent something constant in an unstable and hectic working environment.
No matter what kind of a leader you are, there are some things that you should make sure that you aren’t. In order to elicit respect, you have to become respectable. Below are three common leadership mistakes and how you can avoid making them.
Unclear Instructions
It often falls on the shoulders of a leader to delegate what people are going to do. Whether in the workplace or at a recreational event, members of a group are always going to need to be assigned what to do.
If the instructions from a leader are unclear, the tasks will not be performed properly. In addition, people will start to resent the leader for his or her poor instruction. This can be avoided by speaking clearly and slowly when explaining what it is that people have to do.
Neglecting Team Members
A leader should not play favorites. As an authority figure, it is important for a leader to remain relatively impartial when performing his or her duties. When all members of a team are shown the same amount of concern, all members of that team will understand that they have a responsibility to perform.
By choosing a favorite, a leader is discouraging everyone else from trying as hard. After all, if you are not the favorite than what is the point in putting in the extra effort?
Negative Reinforcement
When leading within a team environment, it is important to only ever use positive reinforcement. This is true in pretty much all circumstances, whether one is working with kids or full-grown adults. People will resent a leader who is cruel and abusive.
Unless one is in the military, chances are that negative reinforcement is not the way to go. Reward people who perform exceptionally well, but do not go overboard in punishing those who do not. If everyone sees the kind of rewards available for performing well, they will try to do well themselves.
After reading this, hopefully, you will have a better understanding of what mistakes you should avoid will set you up for more success as a leader for your team.
To learn more about Javier Betancourt Valle, visit JavierBetancourtValle.info