Just because someone is in a management position doesn’t automatically mean they are a great leader. To be a great leader requires skill and devotion, and without them, the entire business will suffer as subordinates fail to reach their potential because of poor leadership.
Unfortunately, bad leaders don’t realize that they are bad until someone else calls them out on it. Even then, they may not even believe it, much less consider improving their skills. This usually makes for a bad team, and sometimes, it can even lead to a bad company.
If you are in a leadership position, it’s extremely important that you assess yourself every once in a while. Even if you are the nicest person in the office, it doesn’t mean that you are a good leader. And no matter how great your performance reviews turn out, there is always room for improvement.
So, what are the signs that you need to work on your leadership skills?
You have a high turnover rate
When people are quitting left and right, it’s usually the fault of the people in charge. Sure, there are a lot of other factors at play but do not leave out the possibility that your leadership is partly to blame.
A high turnover rate may be an indicator that you need leadership coaching from a company such as Miick. Don’t take the excessive resignation personally–rather, use it as an opportunity to find the root causes of high turnover, including the role that your leadership plays in it.
Your subordinates can’t do the job as well as you can
You assign tasks to your employees, and when they come back to you, you find yourself having to redo the work or make a lot of revisions. This doesn’t always mean that your employees are lacking. Sometimes, it can be because of poor leadership skills.
As a leader, one of your main responsibilities is to help employees do their job well, as well as enough as you can or even better. You can’t achieve this by micromanaging your employees or hijacking tasks for the sake of “doing them perfectly.” So instead of being a helicopter boss, help your employees grow by coaching them through tasks, providing clear instructions for each job, and ensuring that everyone on the team is on the same page.
You have to drag yourself to work
Before, you had a skip in your step and was happy to get into work, ready for the day with a coffee in hand. Now, you’re dragging your feet as you make your way to the office, dreading another day of work and already wanting it to end.
If you resent your job, you can’t be a good leader to your employees. They may even see right through you and also start to feel resentment for their own positions. If this is the case for you, it might be the right time to reevaluate your current job position. Ask yourself: Are you really fit for the role assigned to you? If there is hesitance in the answer, it’s a good idea to talk to your own boss about it.
The team is constantly in conflict
Conflict is normal in any kind of team, and it is not always a bad thing. Conflict can give birth to new ideas and viewpoints that were never on the table before. It can even solve problems and lead to good decisions in a more efficient way. However, too much of anything is nothing good, especially with conflict.
When your team is constantly in conflict–and the unproductive, time-wasting kind–you must reevaluate yourself as a leader. Although conflict is not always entirely your fault, you are the one that sets the tone for the team. Your employees learn from your actions and see how you handle conflict. And if you’re setting a bad example, rest assured that tensions will be high and you won’t see an end in sight for all the conflict you’re facing.
Your team is underperforming
Failure to meet targets, missed deadlines, subpar results–these are obvious signs that your team is underperforming. Although you might think that it’s your team’s fault, you are also likely part of the problem.
When your team is underperforming, identify which of your leadership skills need extra work. Is it your communication skills? Your problem-solving skills? Or perhaps your ability to provide support as a leader? Whatever the case, working on your areas of improvement is the best first step to enhance the performance of your team.
A great leader makes for a great team. So if you start noticing these signs, it might be time to polish your leadership skills some more.
