If you are in a leadership position, in a company with a high turnover, this might gut you; 50% of employees quit their bosses, not necessarily their jobs.
High turnovers are not the only effects of bad leadership. Poor engagement, low productivity and incessant conflicts are some of the results of poor leadership.
By looking at some of the symptoms of poor leadership, you can evaluate yourself and explore your key areas of improvement.
Here are the top 5 Indicators of poor leadership.
1. Lack of Trust
You cannot lead a group that does not trust you. A lack of trust is synonymous with lack of respect, loyalty and credibility.
When employees find themselves with a leader they cannot trust, attention is diverted from performance to self-preservation and job hunting.
While they might still perform their duties, they will take more of a bare minimum approach.
At this point, you can forget about superior customer experiences and customer delight.
2. There is a Weak Flow of Ideas
You recruit great people; intelligent, creative and innovative.
But what does it say when there is a sudden lull in ideas? At times, it’s the leader tasked with creating an enabling environment for idea realization.
Employees that are constantly castigated for speaking up or whose ideas get shot down without merit will withdraw at some point.
3. Lack of Engagement
While employees do not like to be micromanaged, they do not appreciate an absentee supervisor either.
A lack of engagement manifests itself in lack of communication and disengagement. As a leader, it’s essential to keep checking in and make your team feel supported.
4. Your Team Is Uninspired
Nothing screams uninspiring like a leader with no vision. And your lack of inspiration transcends to your subordinates.
Ultimately, employees need to work under a leader with a clear vision of the direction they want things to take.
Without this, they get uninspired and just go through the motions. Usually while looking for better job offers in the background.
5. No Dissenting Voices
It is virtually impossible to have a group of people in constant agreement with your ideas and strategies.
When your subordinates seem to go along with everything you say or any ideas you float, that’s a red flag. It probably speaks to your failures as a leader.
Chances are, your employees are scared or intimidated from speaking up and are just settling for whatever comes their way.
In turn, employee silence robs an organization of the divergent ideas and creativity a productive workforce should embody.
What to Do About It
Regardless of how many points above seem to describe you, the most important thing now is your next step.
This is what will determine the rest of your career and the success of your team and organization as a whole.
Here are a few suggestions to get you back on track.
Broaden Your Knowledge Base
While leadership is about 30% genetic, taking a leadership course equips you with management skills, emotional intelligence and people skills that are integral to leadership roles.
Be Accessible
While it might not be feasible to be with your team all the time, remain available.
Today, there are numerous collaboration tools that you can use to brainstorm and work on projects despite a physical distance.
Listen More Than You Talk
As tempting as it is to tell your team why they are under performing, ask for their input. By evaluating their analysis objectively, you might be able to pinpoint and mitigate the failures on your part.
Use Failures as Teachable Moments
When you give your employees no choice but to deliver perfection, it creates undue pressure. It also makes them fearful of trying new things or spearheading projects.
Use failures to teach and encourage your team to stick their necks out. In the end, this will benefit the entire organization.
Turning Things Around
Do not feel overwhelmed by what you are not doing right. While you are the point person in your team, leadership is two way.
By nurturing trust, transparency and a “we” attitude, you will find your employees mirroring you. This will accord you the support and motivation you need to better yourself as a leader.