While working with my clients and reflecting on my own experiences as a leader and manager, I noticed that while we can do many things to contribute to our success, we can just as easily sabotage our success.
The first thing that I notice sabotages our success is our mindset. When delivering a presentation skills workshop recently, I noticed that the biggest challenge that kept coming up again and again was the issue of confidence.
When we are lacking confidence, it impacts on us in many ways. One of the most common negative effects is that we put off taking decisions. When we put off taking decisions, we delay action. When we delay taking action, we delay getting the results that we want.
Be honest with yourself. How often have you let your mindset stop you taking decisions, actions and results during the last 3 months?
The second block that I see is that many people are more concerned about how others will view them if they take a decision or course of action as a leader or manager than achieving the results they are tasked with delivering.
The truth is that people always have their own take in any situation. Whether you like it or not, you cannot change this. On the other hand, you can decide whether you want to be known as someone who gets things done or someone who lets others’ opinions rule the results that they get.
The third block that I see coming up is that people are not willing to make the effort and/or the investment to achieve success.
You may have heard the term ‘lifelong learning’. Essentially, the essence of this term is that, to keep at the peak of your performance, you need to keep growing and developing. Generally, this will require an investment but the potential return on the investment is huge.
Think about what difference a bonus or promotion would make to your annual income and I bet it would far outweigh the investment that you made.
The fourth block that I see sabotaging success as a leader and manager is when people are unwilling to rely on others.
I know that you are probably good at what you do but you only have a limited amount of time available to you.
If you want to achieve any real long term success as a leader and manager, you need to be willing to rely on others, to delegate and empower others.
The Bottom Line
If you want to thrive and prosper as a leader and manager, you need to be sure that you are not sabotaging your chances of success.
Duncan Brodie helps highly talented professional people to become highly effective leaders and mangers. Learn more here
