The Mistakes Leaders Can Make

All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.

    – Winston Churchill

Below are some of the biggest mistakes a leader can make:

SELF INTEREST

One of the biggest mistakes leaders can make is put their self interest ahead of the of the organization’s interest. When a leader is looking out for fame, money and glory for him/her rather the interest of the organization, it will affect the organization negatively.

“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I”. And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say “I”. They don’t think “I”. They think “we”; they think “team”. They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit…..This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.” – Peter F. Drucker

Philippians 2:4

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others

BETRAYING TRUST

Another big mistake a leader can make is betraying the trust of his/her followers. Trust is the cord that binds the followers to leadership, and once that trust is broken, the followers are cut off from following that leader.

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Numbers 20:12

New International Version (NIV)

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

ARROGANCE

When a leader believes that he/she is the best and the world revolves around them, problems will arise in that organization.  Arrogant leaders believe their success is because of their own abilities and qualities. They take all the credit for the success of the organization/team but put the blame for the failure of the organization on others.

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” – Jim Rohn

Psalm 17:10

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.