Leaders fail when they lose sight of their initial dream. That dream was the reason why they accepted the responsibility that comes with leadership. If they forget what it was that motivated them, they feel empty. The leadershipnow.com website advises us to beware of following threats.
Fear of failure
Past successes often create enormous pressure on top leaders who excelled in the past. They become unsure whether they can sustain their track record of outstanding performance. When a leader has been successful for a long time, the cost of a potential failure is especially high. What is the result of such anxiety? A leader who is unable to take any reasonable risks. Leaders who find themselves in this situation stop promoting innovations and new and better ways of doing things diminish. Prudent leadership which has been dominated by risk aversion is too paralyzed to be successful.
Lapsed integrity
A gap between what a leader does (his competency) and who he or she is (his character) is very dangerous. Credibility stems from both of these two roots equally. A discrepancy of any kind creates an integrity problem. Integrity is often compromised because the leader chooses harmful means of achieving goals. They say that they are working towards the greater good, and that is why the voice of ethics must remain silent. When a leader only focuses on results, it can all go wrong. Leaders often see their employees as mere pawns and then they confuse manipulation with effective leadership. The leaders lose empathy. Try asking your workers if they ever feel used to find out how the you treat them.
They don’t take care of themselves
Nobody will warn a leader about possible signs of fatigue and stress. A leader can fail in taking proper care of his or her physical, psychological, spiritual and emotional health and needs. When you feel you need to refresh your energy levels, clear your schedule and make sure you get enough energy to keep your leadership growing and developing.
-jk-