Seven Deadly Leadership Habits
Are you working in an organization where leaders failed the business and the people he/she serves? Are the leaders in your organization motivated to do the right thing regardless of economic consequences?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself is “Am I working in a company where leaders are guided by core values?” Values-based leaders see others interests ahead of their own.
Are you an ethical leader who regularly displays good judgment? Are you able to create a high performance workplace by creating a workplace climate where doing the right thing and not greed and self-interest is paramount to every action taken?
Sidney Finkelstein, author of Why Smart Executives Fail (2003), researched several spectacular CEO failures and their causes over a six year period. He discovered seven deadly leadership habits.
Seven Deadly Habits
Finkelstein identifies seven patterns of faulty behaviors, each with a warning sign. He arranges these into seven habits which are:
Habit #1: They see themselves and their companies as dominating their environment. On the positive side, this attitude is seen as highly optimistic. Optimism is a primary trait of successful leaders and it contributes to the ability to inspire and communicate vision. Carried to extreme, it causes one to lose touch with reality.
Warning sign: A lack of respect.
Habit #2: They identify too closely with the company, losing the boundary between personal and corporate interests. On the positive side, this trait means that an executive works long, hard hours over and above what is expected. However, carried to extreme, a leader gains a sense of entitlement to compensate for his or her sacrifices. It paves the way for unethical decisions.
Warning sign: A question of character.
Habit #3: They think they have all the answers. High intelligence and an ability to solve problems quickly and decisively are essential for leadership. When one forgets to ask for input or adequate information before making and acting on a decision, decisions can be inappropriate.
Warning sign: A leader without followers.
Habit #4: They ruthlessly eliminate anyone who isn’t completely behind them. While knowing who to promote and who to reassign or fire is an essential responsibility of any leader, decisions based on favoritism are irresponsible and risky. When the senior team is comprised of ‘yes’ people, there isn’t enough dissention to evaluate risks appropriately.
Warning sign: Executive departures.
Habit #5: They are consummate spokespersons, obsessed with the company image. While getting press coverage is seen as good for share prices, when CEOs appear to be promoting themselves more than the company, beware. Warning sign: Blatant attention-seeking.
Habit #6: They underestimate obstacles. Optimism is the underlying trait that works for motivating and inspiring, but carried to extreme, it can obliterate adequate risk evaluation and reality checks.
Warning sign: Excessive hype.
Habit #7: They stubbornly rely on what worked for them in the past. The problem is, nothing stays the same. It is human nature to go back to what worked before when things get tough. But applying yesterday’s solutions to tomorrow’s problems can’t work. Knowing which problems to solve is a challenge for CEOs. Warning sign: Constantly referring to what worked in the past.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring leader who instills values-based leadership into the culture. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.
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