As a management coach, I often see leaders getting in their own way when it comes to leadership excellence.
Marshall Goldsmith, in his classic book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, identified common ways in which leaders hold themselves back – and I’ve seen plenty of these in my coaching.
Here are a few common ones:
* Beginning phrases with “no, but,” or “however” – nothing shuts a discussion down like using one of these words to start a response. Use the improvisation technique – begin sentences with “and” so that you’re building off what others have said.
* Sharing your negative predictions – No one is able to predict the future and directly stating what won’t work and why is sure to stifle innovation.
* Reminding people of how you did it “before” at a different company – Consistently talking about how you did it better/more efficiently/more effectively at your previous company is sure to result in your team rolling their eyes.
* Overspeaking others – There’s a well-known phenomenon called multiple discovery – seemingly independent people come up with the same idea at the same time. If you’re interrupting or overspeaking others with your insights, you may be discouraging others to contribute.
* Speaking like the expert – you’ve worked hard for your leadership position. You shouldn’t have time to be the expert anymore; that position belongs to your team. Show them off and let their brilliance reflect on you.
If you’d like to chat about this, set up a management insight call with me.What have you seen when people get in their own way?
Leadership excellence is often about subtraction — removing habits that block your best self from emerging.
If you’d like to explore how you might be getting in your own way, set up a Management Insight Call with me https://lnkd.in/gPtWi_BF.
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