5 Mistakes Great Leaders Avoid To Become Successful

Great leaders are not born, they are made. From having worked with many leaders, I’ve come to understand that different leaders would have their own strategy in building themselves to achieve success. However, I’ve also observed common mistakes successful leaders typically avoid to become a great leader.

In this article, I will share five of those common mistakes.

1. Thinking that leaders must have a team to lead

One common misconception about leadership is that leaders need a team to lead. While it's true that leading a team is a key part of many leadership roles, every great leader’s journey begins with leading themselves and the ideas they have. Great leaders know true leadership means taking the necessary actions to make things happen, regardless where they are in their journey.

This means the first step in becoming a successful leader is taking action, even when you don't have a team behind you. It means getting rid of self-doubt, procrastination, and any other obstacles that are holding you back from turning your ideas into reality.

A great way to start is to start small. Begin with setting bite-sized, achievable goals that will help you build momentum and gain confidence in your abilities. Start by creating a list of what you want to achieve and what you need to do to make it happen. Then, take action and start working on your goals one step at a time. Remember, leadership is a journey, not a destination.

2. Not providing clear goals

When you’re leading a team of people, it's your responsibility to arm your team with clear goals that will get them excited to work towards. Without clear goals, your team will struggle to understand why their work is important and what they are trying to achieve. When your team has no clear destination, how likely do you think they will end up somewhere meaningful?

Now, imagine having clear goals as your destination. This means knowing exactly what you’re aiming for. Naturally you’ll spend way less time doing useless work, and more time working on things that matter. Your goals also give meaning. They give your team something to be excited about and look forward to.

As soon as you get a chance, write down 2-3 things you want to achieve and share them with your team. Also throw in some success indicators while you’re at it, so you’ll have something to compare your progress against.

3. Not setting high standards of work & ethics

As a leader, you set the tone for your team's work standards and ethics. It's crucial to lead by example and to practice what you preach. Great leaders have a "do as I do" mentality, rather than a "do as I say". If you want your team to meet high standards, you must set high standards yourself. You can't expect your team to do something that you're not willing to do yourself.

To set high standards, start by defining what they look like. What does great work and ethics mean to you and your company? Share these standards clearly to your team members and make sure that they understand what's expected of them. Then, lead by example and hold yourself accountable for meeting these standards. When your team sees you producing high quality work, mindset, and behaviours, they will be more likely to follow your lead.

4. Not giving your team room to grow

One great attribute that’s linked to a great leader is their ability to lift others. When you have big goals, it makes sense to put in the necessary effort to help your team grow into their potential, so you can better tackle those goals. This is why it’s important to provide your team the right environment, challenges, and opportunities to grow and develop their skills.

To give your team room to grow, start by giving them more autonomy and trust. Give them challenging assignments and stretch goals that will help them develop new skills and knowledge (see point #2).

Additionally provide your team the support and resources they need to succeed. This includes the access to the necessary knowledge, people, and tools to produce great work. Afterall, flowers can’t bloom on bad soil.

5. Not continuously learning

Finally, great leaders never stop learning and growing. Sure, the team you hire may be smarter than you. But, they still need constant direction and inspiration from you so they want to continue building great things with you.

When you stop learning and growing, you risk becoming stagnant and irrelevant. This not only affects your own performance as a leader but also the performance of your team. If your team members feel that their leader is not keeping up with the times, they may start to lose confidence in your ability to lead them. This can lead to a decrease in engagement and productivity, and in some cases, even cause team members to seek other opportunities.

As a leader, you need to be open-minded, adaptable, and willing to learn from your mistakes. You should always be looking for opportunities to level-up your leadership game.

Conclusion

In summary, becoming a great leader requires effort, dedication, and a willingness to learn and grow. By avoiding the mistakes discussed in this article, you can become a leader who inspires and empowers others to reach their full potential.

Remember, leadership starts with leading yourself and your ideas, setting clear goals, leading by example, developing your team members, and continuously learning and growing yourself. By following these principles, you can become a great leader who achieves great things.

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Cover photo: unsplash/@neom