5 Reasons why managers fail to effectively lead their teams (and what to do about it)

It’s pretty likely that we’ve all worked for or under a bad leader - someone who depletes your creativity, diminishes your desire for innovation, stifles your will to show initiative, crushes your authority or micro-manages you. It feels lousy, deflating, exhausting, mentally draining and demotivating.

And what happens when employees feel this way? They generally leave for greener pastures, where they hope to feel valued and appreciated for their contribution to the ‘team’. This happens all too often and it’s a well-known fact that the cost of keeping existing employees is far less than onboarding new ones.

Poor management is one of the top 5 reasons why employees leave their jobs, so it’s important to understand the contributing factors in order to avoid the pitfalls of poor people power.

Let’s look at the top 5 ways poor managers lead, because only then can we look at how they can be developed into great leaders.

1. Lack of effective communication: Bad leaders often fail to communicate clearly, resulting in confusion, misunderstandings, and a lack of direction for their team members. Poor communication hinders productivity and creates a negative work environment.
2. Lack of empathy: Leaders who lack empathy fail to understand and consider the needs, concerns, and perspectives of their team members. This can lead to a lack of trust, low morale, and a diminished sense of teamwork.
3. Micromanagement: Bad leaders tend to micromanage their team members, demonstrating a lack of trust in their abilities. Micromanagement stifles creativity, undermines autonomy, and demotivates employees.
4. Inability to provide constructive feedback: Effective leaders provide timely and constructive feedback to help their team members grow and improve. However, bad leaders may either avoid providing feedback altogether or offer criticism in a harsh, demoralizing manner, hindering professional development.
5. Lack of accountability: Bad leaders often fail to take responsibility for their actions or decisions. They may shift blame onto others, avoid addressing problems, or fail to acknowledge their own shortcomings. This erodes trust, diminishes credibility, and hampers the growth and success of the team.

Sound familiar? Well, the simple solution to these challenges is to engage your managers in quality professional development that transforms their thinking, communication skills, emotional intelligence and ability to take responsibility. When managers embody new ways of thinking and being they can empower and lead their teams by example. Favourable change occurs within the team when staff see their manager “stepping up”. A more positive work culture flourishes, loyalty grows and productivity improves.

If you want the workplace culture to change, you need to work on the minds and hearts of those leading it.

We offer a Nationally Recognised Certificate III in Personal Empowerment which has undergone government scrutiny and approval. It can be delivered in full or selected content extracted and customised to meet your teams’ developmental needs.

Contact us with your ‘expression of interest’. We’d love to help your people discover their authentic leadership gifts.

Regards,

Janelle Manton, Personal Empowerment Facilitator