One of the most challenging jobs on this planet is being a leader. As a leader, you need to be strong enough to make decisions that impact people’s lives every day, yet you can’t live their lives for them or protect them from every possible negative outcome.
A leader also needs to understand that anything they do or say will impact the lives of others in some way, shape, or form. If you want to be a good leader, you have to work on being your best self, which is easier said than done.
Mistakes happen all the time; we are only human, after all. However, you can avoid making these leadership mistakes and save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress if you learn from your past experiences before they have a chance to take their toll on your future success.
Here is a checklist of questions to ask yourself as a leader to avoid making mistakes that will hurt your team or company.
- Are you treating others the way they want to be treated?
- Are you trusting people to do their jobs?
- Are you a positive force or a negative one in the workplace?
- Are you surrounding yourself with people who reflect your standards, morals, and values?
- Are you making decisions based on the long-term benefit to all involved?
- Are you breaking down barriers that may exist between groups or departments?
- Are you building bridges to unite different groups instead of creating tension and separation?
Leading is not easy, but these are some questions to ask yourself as a leader to make sure that you’re doing your best. Remember that leaders who consistently exhibit the behaviors listed above are more likely to build stronger connections with their people and achieve higher levels of success.
If you’re in a leadership position and you find it difficult to be strong yet empathetic, always remember that your words and actions impact others. By simply acknowledging the fact that you want to be honest, trustworthy, and courageous for your team members, you’ve already improved upon the status quo of how many leaders operate.
If you’re a leader who is wondering if you’re doing enough or should be doing more, you will want to review the questions above as often as you can. Remember that leadership is an ongoing process that never ends, but it can end with you being a better person, leader, and human being.