Your team’s success often depends on your strength as a leader. Just one person can have both negative and positive impacts on productivity, morale and office culture. As a leader, you’re the one to set the tone and expectations of your team. Sometimes though, we’re not always aware of our negative leadership qualities and how they are impacting others. This article will help you recognize patterns in your behavior and correct ineffective traits to improve your leadership skills and make a positive impact on your team and organization. 

No. 1: Lack of positive reinforcement

Just like you, your team members like to be commended for their good work. A lack of encouragement can be damaging to self-esteem, form a disconnect between you and your team and create distrust or a lack of respect. Positive reinforcement is as simple as verbally rewarding your team for a job well done or encouraging them along the way. Building self-confidence and fostering growth is a win-win for the individual and your team as a whole. Be consistent throughout the team and timely on your encouragement, but don’t exhaust the praise because it will eventually become insincere.

No. 2: Not taking responsibilty for mistakes

We’ve heard it a million times – we’re all human and no one is perfect. That includes you. Fess up if you gave incorrect or unclear directions, missed a deadline or misunderstood a situation. Skirting around your confession, or even worse, blaming it on someone else, is a sure way to lose the respect of your team. Take responsibility, right the wrong and move forward. Don’t dwell on the mistake but instead learn from it and show your team they can trust you’ll do the right thing – just like you expect of them.

No. 3: Being resistant to change

Just because something has been done a certain way for the last 25 years doesn’t mean it’s the only way or even the correct way anymore. It just means it’s a habit. Ask your team for suggestions on how to be more efficient, how to take a more interesting approach or how to find better solutions to challenging issues. And then be open to vetting all and implementing some of those changes. Maybe they won’t work, but you showed your team you’re not only open to change but also open to their ideas. This is especially important because right now there are four generations in the workforce, and they all work differently and have different knowledge. Be open to learning something new.

No. 4: Poor communication skills

Bad communication doesn’t just mean not being able to talk to someone. It also means not giving clear direction or expectations, not being available for your team members, not listening when someone else is talking, being on your phone all the time, not reacting or giving feedback and the list goes on. Bad communication produces mediocre projects, unhappy team members (who likely have one foot out the door) and low morale. Make sure you are actively listening, giving constructive feedback, demonstrating positive body language and respecting others. Good communication skills are the foundation for a successful team.

Reflecting on your skills as a leader can be difficult. We all want to think we’re doing our best for our team. We all have room to grow and better ourselves, so identifying ineffective leadership skills can be a positive experience. It offers us opportunities to learn more about ourselves and how to become more successful and foster a more successful team.