In a recent video, I talked about the difference between leadership and management.  In it,
I stated that managers control and oversee what happens in time and space.  Leaders, on the other hand, disrupt
what occurs in time and space. 
While that approach may sound simple, many leaders unknowingly

Perhaps the debate as to whether leaders are born or created
is a somewhat worthy discussion. 
There is research to support that many leaders developed their skills at
a young age.  In Malcolm Gladwell’s
book, David and Goliath, he talks about how dyslexia, which could be perceived
as a disadvantage, forced people like Richard Branson to develop leadership
skills in elementary school.  He
also discussed how people who lost a parent at a young age, 20 or younger,
began to develop leadership skills.

Those circumstances do not imply being born a leader.  They do, however, accentuate the point
that leadership can be developed at a young age.  Those who are not put in circumstances that force them to be
leaders have to figure it out on the basis of what they perceive leadership to
be.  In some cases, that can be
troubling.  

Many people have a preconceived notion about what it takes
to be a leader.  The media promotes
terms like tough, intimidating, savvy and ruthless.  Some of what is promoted in mainstream about leadership is
often the opposite of what it takes to be a great leader. 

In a short list, here are the top 10 ways to ruin your
chances of being an extraordinary leader. 
Some are obvious.  Others
are counterintuitive. 

–     
Hinders your people’s ability to problem solve

–     
They will run to you to solve large and small problems

–     
Hinders your people’s ability to think for themselves

–     
Reduces their ability to make tough decisions

–     
Creates a “yes man” culture

–     
Your people MAY resent you because they believe you do
not trust them

–     
Solutions may only resolve symptoms of the problem

–     
Stifles innovation

–     
People will not explore new possibilities

–     
People will stop thinking about innovative products or
processes

–     
Could encourage unethical behavior

–     
Could miss long term opportunities

–     
Bigger companies can create new larger
opportunities.  Without new skills,
opportunities could be squandered.

–     
Company will out grow you 

–     
Makes it difficult to hire top talent

–     
Your people will become overwhelmed

–     
Leadership becomes overwhelmed and may need to micromanage

–     
Success rests on the shoulders of top leaders

–     
Success and growth is limited to the intelligence and
experience of the top leader

–     
Incremental improvement retains status quo

–     
Lose competitive edge

–     
Lower margins

–     
The most powerful and effective leaders hire the
smartest people with the best experience

–     
The leader who is the smartest in the room can hinder
growth of top talent

–     
People could feel invalidated and resentful, which
creates low productivity

–     
Top talent will leave

If you are a leader and you practice one or more of the
above, you may be sabotaging your leadership efforts.  If you are that leader, now could be an excellent time to hire an executive coach to undo or unlearn habits that can stifle your personal and professional growth as well as the growth of the organization.

What do you think? I would love to hear your feedback. And
I’m open to ideas. Or if you want to write me about a specific topic, connect
through my blog www.turnaroundip.blogspot.com.