2023-09-15

Common Leadership Weaknesses and Ways to Improve Them

Dela:

Common Leadership Weaknesses and Ways to Improve Them

Latest updated: 28 September 2023

Weaknesses in leadership can lead to decreased productivity and motivation for the entire team. In fact, inadequate leadership is one of the most common reasons why employees choose to leave an organisation. It may involve a lack of trust in employees by the manager, a desire for total control, or being perceived as inaccessible and poor at communication. However, there are ways to address these weaknesses and change the leader's behaviour to strengthen leadership and, consequently, the entire team.

 

The perfect leader does not exist; all leaders have weaknesses and room for improvement. However, sometimes leadership weaknesses become so significant that they weigh down the entire team. When a leader cannot fulfil their role properly, it can lead to decreased motivation and productivity within the team, which in turn can result in stress, sick leave, and employees choosing to leave the company.

Having weaknesses in leadership does not automatically mean that someone is unfit to lead. In many cases, it is more about the leader needing assistance in changing their behaviour and strengthening their leadership in specific areas. This is especially true when the leader is relatively new in their role, as flawless leadership cannot be expected from the outset. Instead, it is better for the leader to receive help in achieving the development and behavioural changes they need, through methods such as coaching and various types of courses and leadership programmes.

To address weaknesses in leadership, one must first identify what they are and how they manifest. Let's take a closer look at some common weaknesses and shortcomings often observed in managers and leaders.

The Unapproachable Manager

A common weakness in leadership is inaccessibility. Some managers are almost always locked in their offices and give the impression that they do not want to be disturbed. This is an outdated form of leadership that can be due to drowning in paperwork or a lack of understanding of the importance of communication and coaching leadership. In the latter case, the manager may only be available to "fix" practical problems rather than serving as a guiding and unifying force.

When a manager is perceived as inaccessible, there is a risk that employees will lose motivation. The distance to the leader becomes a distance from the entire organisation. The leader must be present for employees to feel that their individual work is connected to the organisation's overall goals and mission.

The Control-Freak Manager

A leader should be present, as explained above, but it does not mean the leader should micromanage employees' work and want control over everything. This is called micromanagement and can be incredibly frustrating and demotivating for an employee. Micromanagement sends the signal that the leader does not trust their employees. Instead, the manager wants to dictate how everything should be done step by step and expects to be constantly updated on every detail of the employee's work. It is not surprising that such behaviour is perceived as a lack of trust.

With today's many effective communication channels, there is an increased risk of managers developing this type of behaviour. Because it is so easy to email, chat, call, send SMS, etc., insecure managers may feel tempted to overuse these communication tools to constantly ensure that employees are doing the "right" things. This creates a double problem: it is a form of micromanagement, and it increases the risk of stress and burnout for both the manager and the employee when communication is constant and control never ceases.

Micromanagement and the need for constant control often stem from the manager's insecurity in their leadership and fear of failure, which is transferred to the employees. It can also be an expression of a deeper (and problematic) perfectionism in the manager's personality.

The Incomprehensible Manager

Another common weakness in leadership is lack of clarity. Some managers have a hard time formulating clear goals and expectations, leading employees to feel like they are stumbling in the dark and not understanding what the manager truly wants. Another form of ambiguity can be found in the manager's own behaviour. A leader must behave in a way that they want their employees to behave, both in terms of work and socially.

One reason for managers' lack of clarity may be a fear of getting stuck in micromanagement, as described above. They may also fear appearing authoritarian and poor listeners. However, one can be clear without being authoritarian and without getting caught up in micromanagement. It is about being as concrete and factual as possible when describing the goals to be achieved. This is not the same as micromanaging.

Unclear managers may need to develop better self-confidence in their leadership because their ambiguity often arises from fear of saying something wrong or being misunderstood. They may also need to train themselves in effective communication and the art of expressing themselves in an efficient, clear, and concrete manner.

The Manager Who Doesn't React to Employee Efforts

This is essentially a continuation of the previous point. A particularly damaging form of ambiguity is when the manager provides inadequate feedback to employees. Whether the manager believes the employee has done an excellent job or that there is much room for improvement, the message never gets through. For an employee, it can be incredibly frustrating to complete a challenging and demanding task only to be met with silence or a brief and vague comment.

If an employee has done well, they want confirmation that their effort is recognised, and if there are deficiencies in their work, they want to know so they can improve next time. An employee needs not only to know whether their work has gone well or poorly but also exactly what was good or lacking and why. Without this feedback, they do not know how to proceed next time or if it is even worth putting in the effort.

The Manager Who Doesn't Evolve

Last but not least, there are managers who actually do a good job overall but have become too comfortable in their roles. A leader must always evolve and strive for renewal and improvement. This is partly because the conditions in the workplace are constantly changing and require adaptation, and partly because the leader's ability to develop will be crucial for the development of their employees.

It is entirely human to sometimes get stuck in personal development and work on autopilot, but a leader has high demands and must set a good example when it comes to development and change. Therefore, it becomes a problem if the leader becomes stuck in their own development.

These are some of the most common weaknesses observed in leadership. But how do you address these weaknesses? Let's look at some fundamental action points:

1. Identify Weaknesses: We've gone through a list of common leadership weaknesses, but each individual leader needs help identifying their specific weaknesses and areas for improvement. This is the first step in developing one's leadership. To identify leadership weaknesses, you can request feedback from your team and explain your intention to address these weaknesses. You can also discuss with other managers within the organisation. Additionally, seeking the assistance of a coach can help you identify your areas for improvement and prepare an action plan.

2. Plan Concrete Actions: Identifying and gaining insight into your weaknesses is not enough; you must also develop a concrete plan to address them. No one can completely eliminate their weaknesses, but there is much that can be done to achieve better results. It's about implementing a concrete behavioural change in your daily routine and creating new strong habits and routines. This can be accomplished by planning specific actions that are measurable and can become part of your daily routine. A coach can assist in selecting and planning these actions.

3. Seek Feedback: Behavioural change and concrete actions in daily life must be followed up and evaluated, not only individually. The behavioural changes and specific actions in daily life must naturally be followed up and evaluated – not only individually or with the coach but also with feedback from colleagues and team members. The manager must be willing to ask their colleagues and coworkers if they have noticed any changes and whether they have been positive or negative, if so. Another way to obtain feedback may be to conduct anonymous employee surveys. Subsequently, feedback is used to make corrections and adjustments in one's behavioural transformation

4. Regular Reflection, Evaluation, and Development: We've already touched upon this, but it's worth repeating: a leader must constantly evolve, or it becomes ultimately impossible to continue as a leader. The practice of reflecting on one's own behaviour and evaluating one's efforts towards change must never cease and should become a regular routine. A good leader should always strive to gain new insights and learn new things, both about themselves, their team members, and the world at large.

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