The #1 Mistake Leaders Make
In todays society, we have a boss problem. Too many people are more concerned with being a boss than with being a leader. The fascination with the role can be seen in everything from merchandise to common sayings to the way people refer to themselves.
This causes a problem between those in charge and those in their charge: the employees don’t feel cared for. This is something that can easily be solved, leaders just need to realize that the only reason they have a job is because of those under them.
Too many leaders only care about being the boss. My main thought on why this happens is with the prevalence that being a boss has in the American working culture. We are constantly shown from a young age that in order to get things done or have the freedom to make decisions, we need to be in charge. And to be in charge, we need to be the boss. Once we’re the boss, then we just get to tell others what to do, and why to do it.
Sometimes we’re not even lucky enough to get the why. Ever heard “because I said so” as the reasoning to do something your boss asked you to do? While this is obviously wrong, until we can convince the average office worker of this nothing will improve.
Another reason this happens is the incorrect assumption that moving into leadership is a promotion. It’s not. Or, at least, at any company worth its salt it’s not. For employees of bad companies that force “promotions” to management, it’s very easy to to feel that you were rewarded by doing a task well. Now you might feel like it’s your job to tell others how to do the task, because you must have been the best at it if you got promoted. You’re also likely to feel that the best thing you can do is to keep focusing on yourself. After all, your last job was about your contributions, your successes, your failures. Why wouldn’t it be the same now?
What you may fail to realize is that this wasn’t a promotion. You haven’t advanced up in the career ladder. You have instead taken a lateral step, from wherever you were on the individual track onto the bottom rung of the leadership career ladder. Your previous skills will help you out, but they are not going to be nearly enough for you to be successful as a leader. Unless you continue to learn new skills, those in your charge will not feel cared for.
It’s also very common for new leaders to not prioritize time with their teammates appropriately. I’ve done this myself. During my first week of being a leader at my current company, I had setup a day where I could see a couple members of my new team in person. Our office has a ping pong table, and as I used to play regularly with a few of my new team members, I thought it would be great to set aside some time at the end of the day where I could do just that. Unfortunately, I also had a pretty hard deadline to leave that day and I handled it in probably the worst way possible. I checked my watch roughly every 30 seconds for the entire 45 minutes I was hanging out with this team member. This is a great way to show someone that you don’t value their time as much as you value theirs 🤦♂️
Leadership is putting the needs of others ahead of our own. It’s not about being “in charge,” it’s about taking care of those “in your charge.”
- Simon Sinek
Leaders need to realize that the only reason they have a job is those under them. You need to show your employees that you care. You need to find ways to inspire, not bully them. You need to find ways to keep your employees happy, as without them you aren’t “leading” anything.
Leadership is putting the needs of others ahead of our own. Only once you do that, are you truly a leader.
