Leaders play a key role in their organizations. They create the atmosphere in their work places by the way they act, the way they speak and the way they deal with others. Employees mimic their behavior: they do unto themselves as the leaders do unto them. That is why leaders need to be cautious and strive to behave in ways that support the self-confidence of the people around them and rid them of the fears that prevent them from putting the maximum effort and energy into their work.
According to the American speaker and consultant Brian Tracy, one of the world’s leading personalities in personal and professional growth, this requires eliminating three key leadership errors:
1. Do not criticize
Blaming others will not help you with anything, but it can cause long-term damage to your relationships. When someone does make a mistake, focus on the solution alternatives.
2. Do not complain
The same thing that goes for criticizing also applies to complaining: do not put yourself into the role of a victim. You would needlessly undermine your authority and especially your respect to yourself. If you are unhappy about something, work actively on improving the situation.
3. Do not condemn
This applies both in the company as well as outside of it. By condemning your subordinates and colleagues, you undermine their self-confidence; this will not help the cooperation within your team at all. Even condemning people outside of the company will not remain secret and will come back to haunt you.
Focus on developing positive leadership qualities and creating an environment where employees will feel good and where they’ll also have the same good feeling from the work they do. Remember that the path to your team’s higher performance leads through the support of your people’s self-confidence.
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