REASONS LEADERS FAIL

Everyone makes mistakes. Every leader fails at times and learns from their failures. Here is a solid list by Dan Rockwell of why leaders fail. Read and learn!

Originally posted by Dan Rockwell

Top 12 reasons leaders fail:

1. Neglecting culture. Culture building is job-one for all leaders.
2. Lack of paranoia. The paranoid think about what could go wrong and make contingency plans.
3. Bitterness, grudges, and resentment. People fail. Successful leaders allow fresh starts.
4. Task rather than people focus.
5. Accepting complexity.
6. Lack of political awareness. Successful leaders build relationships with powerful players.
7. Failure to sell successes and accomplishments with humility. If the right people don’t know your value, you aren’t valuable.
8. Trusting the untested. Talent without a track record is dangerous.
9. Fearing great talent.
10. Postponing tough conversations.
11. People pleasing.
12. Refusing to adapt. Adaptability is the greatest ability.

Bottom 20 reasons leaders fail:

1. Stagnant pool of friends. Keep your current friends and develop new.
2. Disconnecting with others due to the blindness of power.
3. Failure to build strong teamwork.
4. Neglecting to develop skills, both theirs and those of others.
5. Needing to outshine others rather than letting others shine.
6. Confusing leadership with management.
7. Cowardice. It takes courage to lead. If you don’t think so, you haven’t led.
8. Brown nosing those above and neglecting those below.
9. Too much doing and not enough helping others do.
10. Withdrawal.
11. Over-promising.
12. Fence sitting.
13. Lack of clarity.
14. Lack of follow through.
15. Favoritism.
16. Blaming.
17. Rejecting uncomfortable ideas.
18. Excluding themselves from accountability. “Do as I say, not as I do.”
19. Lack of alignment with board members and organizational values.
20. Relying on authority.