Common Mistakes Leaders Make

Leaders at all levels make mistakes whenever they:

  • Accept bad advice
  • Use bad data
  • Use inaccurate models
  • Are overcome by emotion
  • Act impulsively without sufficient consideration of probable outcomes
  • Fail to remain objective
  • Lack experience
  • Lack critical skills
  • Fail to inspire or motivate followers
  • Lose (or fail to gain) trust of their followers
  • Fail to empower others
  • Lack specific knowledge (for example, about the industry or activity in question)
  • Suffer from indecision
  • Don’t have (or lose) moral authority
  • Lose focus
  • Become distracted by perks or other extraneous factors
  • Fall in love with prestige of office at expense of remembering and performing duties of office
  • Set others up to fail
  • Cling to an indefensible position
  • Fail to say "no"
  • Fail to ask for help when they need it
  • Fail to admit "I don't know"

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