In my work as a leadership coach, I often work with recently promoted leaders. Their roles require them to demonstrate real leadership – creating shared vision and inspiring people to excel. Unfortunately, many fail to lead.
Many organizations promote people based on past performance. They have made significant contributions in specialised functional areas, but their leadership abilities remain untested. Many rise to the challenge – determined to work on their gaps and become better at leading. However, some people really struggle and find it extremely difficult to adjust to their new reality.
Why Leaders Fail To Lead
In a recent post, noted coach and writer, Lolly Daskal provides six reasons why leaders fail to lead. Her reasons include :
- wielding power over building trust
- emphasizing process over people
- providing answers rather than exploring together
- demanding conformity and sacrificing innovation
- continuing to rely on own skills rather than working with others and
- focussed on own success rather than the group’s.
Lolly says that as long as people recognise what they are doing wrong, it is not difficult to learn leader. This requires letting go of old and entrenched behaviours and commitment to learning continuously. In her words,
[pullquote align=”normal” cite=” – Lolly Daskal”]True leadership lies in guiding others to success and ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well, by unleashing their greatness and minding their gaps.[/pullquote]
My take
While it is indeed possible to learn how to lead better, some people would probably be much happier going back to roles where they contribute more as individuals rather than as designated leaders. Sadly, it is somehow considered unacceptable – people get branded as failures when they opt out of leadership roles. As a result, everyone suffers – the leader because his heart isn’t in it, her people because they aren’t really being led, and the organisation because it bears the brunt of the underutilized potential of its people.
You can read the full post here : 6 Excellent Reasons Most Leaders Are Not Qualified To Lead
Also, keep an eye out for her new book : The Leadership Gap – What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
Image: Robert Pastryk via pixabay
