We learn from our mistakes. This is generally true.
However, there are common pitfalls managers and leaders should avoid:
- not giving good feedback
- not making time for their team
- being too “hands-off”
- being too friendly
- failing to define goals
- misunderstanding motivation
- hurrying recruitment
- not “walking the walk”, that is, not leading by example
- not delegating effectively
- misunderstanding their role.
The article “10 Common Leadership and Management Mistakes”
(http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/leadership-mistakes.htm), available on the Mindtools website, analyzes these mistakes and provides some suggestions on how to recognize and avoid them.
image source: http://bit.ly/10N6mQG
Thanks for the great summary, Francesca. It is a very detailed and interesting article.
The only thing that I’m not totally au fait with is in the article’s introduction:
“If you can learn about these here, rather than through experience, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble!”
For however much someone can learn the theory, the practice is often a different matter. I believe that the mistakes and solutions offered can be learned but the theory won’t necessarily make your attitude appear natural.
True leadership skills come naturally to people gifted with people skills. Too often I’ve seen very professional and respectable leaders behave in a very artificial manner when having to deal with the human side of the business. We are all animals of instinct and unnatural behaviour can’t be hidden.
In the end I’m not criticising managerial training but theories can only take you so far…the rest has to be learned from experience. In my opinion the best experience for any leader is Failure. Sooner or later everyone will fail, the earlier it happens the better.