There is no such thing as a bad team or a bad organization, but there is such a thing as bad leadership, and this problem is toxic to organizations. The attitudes and approaches of a leader are transmitted to the people that work for them. Unfortunately, leaders may not see it this way and instead view their team as being incompetent or difficult to coach.
If a leader has a bad attitude, how would you expect their team to perform? Now, this may be a more obvious form of ineffective leadership but what about the less obvious? A pivotal part of being a leader is managing people. Some leaders can be very good with that, especially when it comes to building relationships. However, effective leadership involves imposing discipline on team members. A leader who is too emotionally invested in their team may not be able to handle imposing discipline on their members.
This is where the dichotomy comes into play; there needs to be a balance between connecting with the team and being able to hold the line when necessary. Ineffective leadership happens when the pendulum goes too far one way. This can make it difficult to identify if and when your leader is ineffective. You may see them as overbearing or inconsiderate when they’re using discipline tactics to get the best out of you. On the other hand, you may enjoy how lovely and accommodating your leader is when they may be failing to hold you accountable.
In the end, leadership approaches will vary, as each team will require the methods that best utilize their skills. The measure of an approach's effectiveness will depend on the results displayed by the team. Is the team meeting deadlines? Producing high-quality work? Passionate about what they’re doing? Regularly communicating? Clarifying with and asking the leader for help?
These are all things to take inventory of when assessing leadership effectiveness, but you will also want to watch for the following:
Communication Barrier
When working with or for someone in a leadership role, there should never be discomfort or a lack of access to communicating with that person. Opening this line of communication should be something the leader takes on. However, if you find that they are not, then subordinates have to take initiative to fix the issue. How do you do that? Communicate with them and communicate with each other. You ultimately want to set the standard by stepping up to lead when others won’t.
In some cases, there can be a communication barrier either with leadership or within the team due to conflict. When this is the case, it simply needs to be addressed and dealt with (the procedures for which will be up to the organization). A leader who avoids conflict, gives up their power, whether that be failing to discipline team members or address a situation. The bottom line is that it does not build healthy relationships.
Lack of Discipline
This idea goes a couple of ways, the first being a lack of discipline among members of the organization. Again, a leader who does not impose discipline on their people is doing no benefit to the longevity of their team's success. This must of course be met with standards of implementation to avoid the second common issue. A leader can think they are imposing discipline when they are going too far and may begin micro-managing or failing their role in the supportive aspect.
Essentially all members of a team must assess the needs to complete whatever it is they set out to do. Once these needs are identified, realistic goals and timelines should be set to prevent straying away from the plan. In the case of leadership, they are simply there to provide support and ensure the process is meeting the established standards.
Taking Too Much Credit
We know that leaders are responsible for their team's outcomes, but a leader who is quick to take all the credit for their team's success is throwing away its value. When a team succeeds, it creates cohesion and a supportive environment. This is especially important today as 89% of employees are leaving their jobs due to feeling unsupported.
To create an environment that will attract talent, it must have an emphasis on company culture and team inclusivity. The best leaders are humble enough to recognize their team's role in success. They also know the importance of sustaining the environment by, again, giving up the short-term reward for a long-term return.
Conclusion
You may think nobody gains anything from ineffective leadership, and when it comes to trying to run an organization, this is true. However, someone who has the experience and knows how to navigate an ineffective leader can manage up or do whatever is necessary to mitigate its impact. In doing so, that person becomes an effective leader.
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