V8.22: Avoid These 4 Leadership Mistakes

We all know that everyone makes mistakes. Some are worse than others, of course, so we should do what we can to avoid those and position ourselves for greater success.

So, what are these mistakes we should avoid, you ask? Well, great question, thank you for asking. Let’s go through Entrepreneur.com’s list now!

1. “Taking on too much” This is the easiest mistake to make as a leader. You probably got to where you are by working hard and raising your hand for everything. But now that you have more responsibility, you need to be smart with your time. We’ve talked about the concept of “screaming monkeys” before, but we feel it necessary to reiterate it again here. When people come to you with their problems (or screaming monkeys), leaders are quick to take it on. When you do that, though, you end up with ALL the screaming monkeys and you won’t be able to take care of ANY of them fully. Avoid taking on everything so that you can focus on the important tasks. 
2. “Forgetting to listen” Your people matter. If you aren’t listening to them- the employees and the customers- you are failing as a leader. Empathy goes a long way, we promise. Leading with compassion is a daily choice that you have to make. Truly listening helps build trust and minimize suffering. Just remember that listening is only the first step; you have start acting as well. 
3. “Giving up too early” You know what they say! Quitters never prosper. Okay, okay, maybe that’s not the actual quote, but it makes sense here, doesn’t it? If you give up because things got a little hard, you will never see success. It takes hard work and dedication to build something great. If you remember that next time you are thinking about quitting, you just might pull through! 
4. “Failing to set boundaries” Boundaries are important. Being flexible is a great skill, but structure is how you scale and improve. Setting some rules and expectations can really help with growth. As a leader myself, I believe in the path of least astonishment and setting very clear expectations. It helps to know where the goal post if one hopes to reach it.

We can do our best to avoid these mistakes, but in truth, the most important lesson is to learn and move forward. I am a big believer in failing forward. We must learn from our past mistakes and actively work on not walking that same path again. As we all know, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Leadership is constant growth. Once we embrace that mentality, we can rise to new heights.