key leadership mistakes

Leadership goof-ups revealed

Leadership is the driving force for any organisation and also determines the success or failure of it. And if the leadership is not on the right track, everything below collapses. we profiles key leadership mistakes

ONE can read a dozen books on leadership and attend just as many leadership seminars, but it requires a lot more to emerge as a successful leader. There have been numerous discussions on what is right and what is not, but the fact remains that in spite of knowing it all, there are times when leadership fails. So, what can be the broad reasons behind leadership falling flat?
    VD Wadhwa, MD & CEO, Timex Group India Ltd points out, “A lack of vision and a good strategy is the first reason. It is imperative for any leader to
have a strong vision, which transforms into a robust business strategy. A leader must understand the dynamics of the ever-changing business environment. The second factor is the lack of understanding of the your market, consumer needs and preferences. Leaders fail because they fail in understanding these crucial aspects. A lack of delegation capability is another major reason. As business leaders, it is important to empower your teams, as it helps them own their work and take responsibility for their results. And lastly, poor communication and inability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, across all levels, is a crucial factor for leadership falling flat.”
    According to Sunil Kumar, regional director, HR – India, Hilton Worldwide, leadership falls short because of two main reasons. “First - understanding team members precedes leading them. To be an effective leader, you must let others tell you what you need to hear and not necessarily what you want to hear. If team members feel they are being understood, they are more motivated to understand your point of view. Secondly, it is about conquering the self: you can’t improve as a leader if you’re preoccupied by pretending to be perfect,” he states.
    Leadership derailment occurs when an erstwhile successful executive either plateaus in his/her current role, or is unable to steer his/her organisation into the next business charter, feels Ashish Arora, founder & MD of HR Anexi. “One of the key leadership derailers in business is believed to be low emotional intelligence. Such leaders seem overly ambitious, insensitive, and authoritarian. They might have difficulties getting along with people of different personalities and cultures, thus failing to create a reliable network of peers and managers,” he explains. Arora further informs that an inability to lead through change is another key leadership inhibitor. “Some leaders do not have the natural or acquired perspective to deal with different types of leadership challenges and contexts. And then, many ‘fast-track’ executives have an unwillingness to learn from failures. Great leaders did not necessarily
make fewer mistakes than others, but they had a fiery commitment to actively learn from them, and never repeat the same mistakes,” he adds.
    So, how should leaders fix fallacies and jump back on the road to success? Brahmajyoti Mukherjee, chief people officer, Magma Fincorp Limited asserts that evaluation and introspection are key to the success of leadership. “If leaders follow the fundamentals of leadership, they can avoid failure. Leaders have to evaluate and understand the gaps in team performance. Avoid being judgmental. Practice positive thinking and motivation. Turn to someone who has been through the same experience and ask for their advice. Everyone needs help from time to time and the sign of a great leader is that they are humble and open to receiving help when needed,” he expresses.
    Kumar suggests, “Learn the art of ‘followership’. Arrogant leaders are rarely effective in the long run. Learn to submit to another person’s leadership, and you will become a more humble — and an effective — leader. Leaders must deliberately slow their pace, stay connected with their team, enlist others to help fulfil their vision and keep the team motivated. Practice patience. Leadership isn’t about crossing the finish line first; it’s about taking your team across the finish line with you.” Wadhwa points out. “Not only does it impact the leader, but also the overall performance of the organisation. One effective way of ensuring that things do not go off-track is to revisit the strategy and introduce course correction when needed,” he says.
    Leadership may fail at times, but a good leader is the one who accepts the flaws, learns from them and then moves forward with an even better vision for the organisation.