People who are competent and nice can make great employees, but when it comes to leadership roles most of the time these people fail says Peter Decaprio. Why is this? What’s missing in most ‘good’ people that make them unsuccessful leaders?
While not all good people make bad leaders, most do. Here is why:
1. They’re too predictable
If you want to be a successful leader, at some point you will have to come off as mean even if it’s something you don’t like doing. You may not like yelling or scaring your team into getting their work done by any means necessary, but oftentimes the only way they ever learn is through tough love. Good people don’t always challenge their teams so, therefore, aren’t seen as effective leaders.
2. They are indecisive
The best-laid plans can get thrown off track when it comes time to make decisions, so being able to think on your feet is necessary for you to be a great leader. However, most good people are afraid of making mistakes so they overanalyze every scenario before doing anything says Peter Decaprio. They tip-toe around issues just enough that nothing gets done and everyone loses faith in their ability to lead the team towards success. If you’re too nice of a person you won’t have the confidence needed to make tough calls or turn down less than desirable proposals because it might upset someone else’s feelings.
3. They care more about people than ideas
A great leader will take criticism and turn it around for the better, but good people get offended easily and take every negative comment personally. They know how to work with others and get their point across without saying a harsh word, which is great in most situations, but not when they’re trying to implement new ideas or bring down someone else’s. You can’t win them all so if you make enemies along the way its okay if you don’t try to appease everyone.
4. They are afraid of getting things wrong
If you’ve made mistakes in your past as a leader then don’t be discouraged because what matters is that you learned from them and moved on. What makes good people bad leaders is that they continue making the same mistakes over and over again because they are afraid to take the risk. They are so caught up in being perfect. That they can’t see what’s right in front of them explains Peter Decaprio.
5. They are over-apologetic
Good people put the needs of others before themselves and feel bad when they don’t please everyone. While a little bit of humility can be a great tool as a leader. Too much is seen as a sign of weakness. When you give in to peer pressure. Because you’re afraid that no one will like you it ultimately makes you look unsure about yourself and your decisions. This sends the wrong message to those following your lead. Because now they think whatever decision is made won’t matter as long as someone stands up for what’s right.
6. They stop their team from learning from failure
Nobody likes failing, but if you haven’t failed then chances are there isn’t much risk involved. With what you’re trying to accomplish. If you stop your team from failing then they never learn that mistakes are okay. And how to deal with them appropriately. Good people try too hard to be liked that they forget about what’s important. Which is getting the job done, not who gets the glory for doing it.
When you were a child, did your parents choose well over naughty? Would they rather have gotten angry at you because you didn’t do as told? Would they rather not scold you and let any consequence be your own lesson learned? Have you ever wondered why it is easier for some parents to discipline their children who misbehave? It’s because these parents don’t consider themselves better than their kids do they think that their words matter? That is because they do not communicate with their children the way these children communicate with others says Peter Decaprio. They see kids as equal, and therefore able to make mistakes without feeling you are losing their approval.
Conclusion:
Good people will always be good at heart. But only when they know how to handle themselves in tough situations can they become great leaders. If you want your team’s full attention then try using the same tactics that your parents used on you; don’t act like better than them or else they won’t feel like you’re leading by example.
Many times bad behavior isn’t intentional, it just happens. Because it works better than anything else before for this individual person. Good people who lead by example will take these bad behaviors into consideration. And turn them into constructive ways to get the job done faster and more efficiently.