The question, “What is leadership?” is asked time and time again. Depending who you ask, the answer will vary. Searching this question in Google you will find over a million results in Google. There’s no doubt that it can be hard to pick out one single definition. Although leadership has many different definitions and varies in meaning from person to person, we can all agree that a leader is more than just a job title.
More often than not, we associate leadership with a title. A CEO, a director, or a manager are all jobs that are associated with leadership. But this title, isn’t what leadership is. Leadership is an action. Leadership is when you lead by example. Sometimes we can spend more time and effort on trying to be a leader than actually leading our teams. Here are five signs that this may indicate you aren’t a true leader after all.
You use your title against people.
Rather than lead by example, you try to inspire others by the power attached to your title. While this may solve an issue in the moment- it can cause resentment and bitterness within your team. Although your position is associated with being a leader, it does not mean that you are automatically guaranteed leadership.
You are not emotionally consistent.
The last thing your team wants to do is guess whether or not you are in a good or bad mood. Time spent worrying over your leader’s emotional reaction can decrease both employee morale and productivity.
Emotional inconsistencies, such as getting angry over simple questions, can cause chaos in the office since no one knows what to expect on a day to day basis.
You blame others instead of yourself.
A good leader will be able to recognize that at the end of they day, if a mistake has been made, they will be held accountable. It does not matter if this mistake was made by an employee, a business partner, or themselves, they will have to take up some type of responsibility.
Pointing out everyone’s mistakes and neglecting your own contributions will make others feel alienated.
You don’t stay true to your promises.
Saying that you will do something and then not doing it, will destroy any loyalty you have with your team. When you don’t follow through on any given tasks, both your employees and associates will start to question your ability as a leader.
You focus on the bad and not the good.
By only highlighting downfalls, your team will begin to feel like everything they do is wrong. Yes, mistakes need to be addressed from time to time, but they should not be the primary focus. Focusing on the bad instead of the good devalues any good contributions your team may bring.