16 Of The Worst Leadership Habits (And How To Change Them)
Not everyone is a natural leader, and there is no guarantee that someone who lands in a leadership position will be a good leader. Many senior leaders and executives come into their roles with no formal leadership training or prior experience leading others. This can lead them to unconsciously develop negative habits that may demotivate their teams.
If leaders are able to recognize their problematic habits, they can work on changing them and become truly great leaders. Below, 16 members of Forbes Coaches Council share the most detrimental leadership habits they’ve observed in senior leaders and executives and offer their best advice on how to change these negative traits.
Forbes Coaches Council members share the worst leadership habits they've seen and ways to change them.
1. Overcommitting
A negative habit I’ve often seen is overcommitting the organization, the team or themselves. This can stem from a lack of focus and prioritization or a desire to please. Saying “yes” to too much dilutes the efforts of an organization and the individual. This may lead to feeling overwhelmed and disengaged, conflict and misalignment, and, ultimately, a lack of progress. Instead, leaders would be well-served to focus on a few vital priorities. - Angela Morrill, Angela Morrill Leadership & Life Coaching
2. Losing Sight Of Broader Goals
A key attribute of top leadership is the ability to define and clearly communicate the vision and strategy of the organization. Far too often, leaders stay focused on short-term goals and performance, losing sight of the broader objectives. As a result, they fail to align their team’s goals with those of the firm, employee engagement is low, and business suffers. - Krishna Kumar, Intrad School of Executive Coaching
3. Discarding Seemingly Unlikely Early Warnings
The wealth of expertise of senior leaders helps them interpret changes without much conscious thought. That allows them to make decisions fast and accurately, but also to discard seemingly unlikely early warnings. Yet, among the discarded information sat warnings of the credit crisis and the pandemic, years before their impact. Regularly checking unlikely warnings protects leaders from strategic slips. - Barbara van Veen, FuturistBarbara.com
4. Showing A Lack Of Accountability
A frequent negative habit is showing a lack of accountability. It’s important for leaders to own up when they are at fault, instead of being concerned with preserving their reputation and saving face. Leaders must set the standard and walk their own talk. How? By admitting and owning their mistakes instead of blaming others (typically their subordinates) when something goes wrong, and in doing so, fostering trust and respect. - Jay Rai, www.jayrai.com
5. Lacking Self-Awareness
A lack of self-awareness around what their blind spots are is a common negative trait in leaders. So, intentionally or not, they do not exhibit inclusive behaviors. As a result, their teams will not feel as if they are included or that they belong, which creates an unsafe, hostile working environment. This can change if leaders accept the reality that they need to learn more through coaching on emotional intelligence, overcoming bias and inclusive leadership. - Sahar Andrade, MB.BCh, Sahar Consulting, LLC
6. Not Being Curious About Diverse Talent On The Team
Part of modern leadership is ensuring that each employee feels psychologically safe to bring their whole self to work. When leaders aren’t curious about getting to know and understand the diverse talent they have, there’s a risk that those team members won’t feel a sense of belonging and will then leave. Leaders should take time to understand their people’s values, motives and personal/career aspirations. - Wayland Lum, Copperbox Leadership Advisory
7. Giving Too Much Or Not Enough Credit
The worst leadership habit is the fundamental attribution error, which attributes either too much or not enough credit (or blame) to one person. For example, someone is blamed for missing a sales quota, but a difficult territory is out of the person’s control. Learning about distorted thinking patterns can adjust leaders’ thinking around how human systems contain both controllable and uncontrollable variables. - Pam Boney, Tilt 365
8. Losing Sight Of The Customer
One of the worst habits leaders may have is losing sight of the customer. Most leaders are good at following the trends in the market but need to train their focus on the customer. It isn’t that customers know what they want from your brand; they may not. It’s that their perceptions should inform your strategy. Listening to customer feedback is a posture that belongs at the core of every leader’s thinking. - Sheila Goldgrab, Goldgrab Leadership Coaching
9. Behaving In An Inconsistent Manner
A fatal leadership habit is inconsistency. Being inconsistent in behavior and showing up as being insincere and inauthentic creates a deep wedge that can spawn fear, uncertainty and doubt. Staff members look to leaders and expect them to adhere to a set of shared values and display what is deemed acceptable behavior. Being aware of one’s inconsistencies as they happen and being willing to change is key. - Thomas Lim, Singapore Public Service, SportSG
10. Believing They Know Best
The worst leaders I have worked for are the ones who believe they know best. Organizations put a lot of effort into hiring the best possible talent. Leaders who refuse to tap into this talent for problem solving and idea generation are missing out. High performers want to contribute. They want to be included. While the process might take longer, the best ideas come from involving the team! - Cheryl Czach, Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC
11. Lacking Empathy
Lack of empathy is a common negative trait. All relationships are partnerships. As a senior leader, you might win through fear, intimidation or coercion, but unless you can come to the relationship line to seek understanding, there is no relationship. This means you ultimately walk alone and, by definition, that means you aren’t leading. - Jodie Charlop, Exceleration Partners
12. Yelling, Being Late, And Chewing Gum
When I think of bad leadership qualities, I think of three things: yelling or raising your voice at people, showing up late to meetings, and chewing gum. Each of them is uninspiring and a hallmark of unprofessionalism. As the leader, you must be the example and someone worthy of being followed. If you are doing any of these, the simple fix is to stop doing them. - Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
13. Isolating Themselves From Their Direct Reports
The worst leadership mistake I have observed senior executives make is to isolate themselves from their direct reports by having an unapproachable image. Employee engagement and friendships at work are the number one factors required to retain talented employees. This leadership habit can be changed by building relationships with your direct reports and discussing interests, hobbies and activities with them. - Michelle Perchuk, MTV Coaching
14. Failing To Reassess Employee Needs And Recalibrate
A common mistake is the failure to recalibrate their approach. Gone are the days of “doing what works” without taking the time to frequently reassess the needs of their employees and make adjustments as needed. Change has accelerated tremendously over the past year and a half, and senior leaders and executives need to stay in touch with what is important to those they serve. - Cathy Lanzalaco, Inspire Careers LLC
15. Being Prideful
Pride is the most dangerous habit for anyone, and even more so for leaders. Leadership, by definition, carries a lot of weight due to the extent of the impact a leader’s behavior, words, decisions and actions have on others. Prideful leaders believe that they know it all and deserve it all, and that their way is the only way. Being humble and genuinely caring about and valuing others and their contributions are the ways to change it. - Lillit Cholakian, NewGen Global Leaders
16. Not Understanding Others’ Perspectives
Being a poor listener—perhaps hearing others, but not really listening to understand their perspectives and ideas—is one of the worst habits a leader can have. It’s a behavior that speaks to a leader’s mindset. It implies that you are not open or that you assume that you know it all, and this makes people feel unappreciated and undervalued. Leaders need to be aware of this and constantly practice active listening skills to master them. - Rittu Sinha, The Balanced Bandwagon