The Biggest Cause Of Leadership Failure
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Jul 1, 2011
A few days ago on Twitter someone put out a statement that, in her opinion, the biggest cause of leadership failure was ego. I wrote back saying it was up there, but it wasn't the biggest cause. She wrote back asking what I thought it was and I responded that the biggest cause of leadership failure was ignorance.
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The problem with having many conversations on Twitter is that you're limited to 140 characters, so it's hard to fully flesh out your opinion. The other problem is that some people get so many responses, or get caught up in delivering their own message, that at some point the conversation is probably going to end, and way too soon, unless you're concentrating on it. I decided I wanted to explain my thoughts on it, and that's what this is for.
When I wrote my book Embrace The Lead, I'd found a statistic that, at this point, I wish I'd remembered where I found it since I've been asked about it over the years. That statistic was that 85% of all those who have been put into leadership or management positions had never led anything else in their lives; being a parent doesn't count.
That's a staggering figure when you think about it, and yet it helps to explain why so many people are bad at it. I say that knowing that you know it because you've seen it, whether you've seen it in yourself or seen it in someone you've worked for or with. I don't know anyone that says every manager they've ever had is good; I know few that say most of their managers were good.
I'm not going to go into what makes a good or bad manager; that's not the topic. What I am going to do is set up the typical scenario, at least how I see it.
I've gone to school to learn something. I learn it well and I get a job doing it. Turns out I'm very good at that job, and thus I'm on the fast track to promotion. Now I'm promoted and I'm the manager over 10 people who are doing what I've been doing.
Now what? I still know how to do what I do but how do I now convey that to everyone else? I've never been a teacher, and the subject was easy for me because I just learned it. I don't understand why everyone else doesn't know it as well as I do.
I now have to lead these people that I used to work with; some of them don't like it, some don't care, and one likes it.
I don't know how to evaluate talent other than to say I don't think any of them are as good as me, otherwise they'd have been promoted.
I don't know how to set up a schedule. I've never taken a vacation but they all want to take one. Sick time?
Two employees are arguing and I'm supposed to do what?
Convey my message? Why do I have to convey a message, or motivate someone else? I never needed that.
Team building? Meetings?
Wait; so-and-so is actually better than me? How'd that happen?
If you were a leader when you were young many of these things just come to you because you've experienced them in your past in some fashion. You already knew how to pull people together. You already knew how to mend fences and get people talking again. You understood when someone was hurt or sick. You learned how to utilize people for their strengths and when you had to take the lead. Hopefully you learned you weren't perfect and that other people had skills that you didn't and were willing to use them for the sake of the team, and invariably you as the leader.
Of course if you were a bad leader then your issue just might be ego. That happens with people who were bullies; they learned that "might is right", even if that's not the case. Those days are gone, yet bullying still persists; I hate bullies.
Leadership and management skills can be taught; egos can only be broken, then hopefully adjusted. There are far more resources available to learn how to become a good leader than there are in dealing with ego. Then again, there has to be if you're looking at a figure like 85%.
In my opinion, ego is a byproduct of ignorance; I don't think you can have it the other way around but I could be wrong. So I put it out to you in two questions. One, what do you see as the biggest reason for leadership failure? Two, can ignorance be a byproduct of ego, and if so how?
In my opinion the choice to rein in your leadership skills to become great requires that you throw ego to the side of the road to begin with. The ego is exactly what will prevent you from being open to new ideas and better practices, as well as to receiving information. So in many ways, and within my own coaching practice, I encourage my clients to cultivate their creativity and leadership by being able to put ego aside. Great post.
Thanks Deborah. I guess I still go with ignorance because I’m not sure everyone will, one, know it’s ego, and two, if it really applies to everyone. For instance, is fear ego if the person they’re working for is the type that would fire them if they showed any weakness? I’ve known quite a few people in that situation. But I do know what you’re talking about; very valid point.
I agree with your point about ignorance. It is really important to truly understand the standpoint of the rank and file and middle management as well as the composition of every department in order to create a viable goal for your business. It is not enough that you know so much about business. It is also vital that you know your co workers and work towards making each other’s jobs easier and fulfilling.
Thanks for your contribution June. Middle management probably has it toughest because they’re the group most likely to try to hide their deficiencies for fear of losing their jobs. Upper management and administrative types… those are the folks who I could see it totally coming down to ego.
A very good post Mitch. You’re right, a lot of managers and bosses of all descriptions are bullies – in the job for a power trip. A good manager is a leader; he’s a manager because he has learned how to do the job, be responsible, respect those under him/her and his employers.
peter
Thanks for your comment Peter. It does come down to respect for all, including oneself, for management and leadership to be effective.
Like everything there seem to be some naturally good leaders (managers?!) and some awful ones. More likely I find is that there are some good leaders who earn high positions with the odd area of weakness that they are able to smooth over.
I think there are a lot of clichés around leadership in business like “lead others how you want to be lead”, while there is a degree of truth in this I think that its a really simplistic way of approaching things.
As leading a team is so individual and unique in terms of the individual leading and the way they need to handle the people who they are leading one on one is there really any effective training that can be applied? Is it just a case of life experience makes good leaders?
Danika, I believe that effective leadership is a combination of talent, training, and emotional/social intelligence. Effective leadership is about mastering a dance in the relationship with those you lead. This is why is takes natural gifting, skills (which can be taught), and emotional/social intelligence.
Coach Theresa
Hi Danika. I think life experiences only help a certain number of people become good leaders, and it had to include their being seen as leaders by others during that time in some capacity. I will say that some people do fall right into good management practices, but I don’t see it as the majority. People tend to go to the extremes many times, and that’s why it’s bad management. To be liked or not is a tough call, but good leadership doesn’t concern itself with that. It does the right thing because it’s right, and if it’s right most of the time, people will respect it and they’ll like it to a major degree.
And good leadership can be fairly consistent while making sure that each person is treated as an individual by making sure the onus is always first on the job at hand. At least that’s how it always worked for me.
I agree ignorance is the biggest problem of leadership, but there are many side effects and I think it depends very much on the team and what power is given to the leader.
I like that Carl, because a leader without power is fairly meaningless. And I think you’re also correct on the side effects idea; nice way of looking at it.
Just my personal experience being in different situations in different countries. For instance, if there is understanding with partners or board of directors it is easy, but if it goes the opposite way and people on higher level don’t have a clue what is involved and don’t give you a choice to select the team or at least the key players it is becoming a bit tough. Side effects can be make, for example challenge, affection to colleague, home problems, low wages, etc.
Carl, you highlight the ignorance that can occur from one perspective, since people on a higher level are supposed to know what’s going on if they’re paying attention. And that’s why some of them need leadership training.
Perhaps there is one biggest cause for a leader’s downfall. I tend to think that there is usually a combination of factors. Leadership is, first and foremost, about effective management of relationships. As such, it begins and ends with developing relationship skills. Too many managers are ineffective leaders because they rely on positional power and authority, but they are not effective in relationships.
Coach Theresa
That’s great stuff Theresa, and a very good point indeed. Of course, the extension of that is making sure those relationships stay in the proper place as well, because giving too much to some and not everyone is as dangerous as not trying at all. I love your point.
I believe that leadership can play a big part in a business…failure of that role can break the success of the company…
Good stuff Evan, but it makes you wonder how Steve Jobs has been so effective when, by many accounts, he’s not really a true leader in one sense of the word as much as a visionary that gets people juiced. After all, this is a guy who once got fired from his own company. lol
I agree, the cause of leadership failure are ego, ignorance and the biggest reason according to me is ‘a shift in focus’. forget leaders, i would say forget leaders, anybody who is doing a normal job, some one who cant be termed as a leader, for him also, if the focus shifts, the chances of getting success reduces!
James, I have to admit I’m not sure what you’re saying here after your first sentence. If you’re saying that a shift in focus can affect everyone, leader or not, I’d have to agree with you. If not, or you mean something else, could you explain it further?
For me, leadership is not perfect always even from the best leader in the whole world…We can commit mistakes but it should not be always…
Interesting point Frenz; can you explain it further?
For me, to be a leader, you should be responsible enough to handle your duties and responsibilities. I define leaders as more work less talk. Leadership also must have cooperation and teamwork.
Thanks for your contribution, Ron. Actually, I like half of what you said a lot, and have to kind of agree with you on another point. When you said leaders are more work and less talk, I think it depends on the job you’re doing. For instance, what most people may not consider is that a CEO’s real job is being the best politician in their industry. Sure, these guys work, but they’re the face of the organization, and the better they are at that job the better it is for everyone. So, even though that’s work for them, companies need good talkers, people who aren’t afraid to be in the public and among the employees representing the company. But everything else you said, spot on!