My friend Jenny lowered her voice and leaned in to deliver the line of dialogue Bill had spoken to her just an hour earlier, “Get your feet off of MY DESK!” Bill was our new Regional VP and in just a few short weeks, he’d already gained a reputation of ruling with an iron fist.

The funny part of this story is that Jenny was in her own office and had legs crossed with feet resting up on her desk. Bill was making a point with her as he walked down the hall passed her office. He wanted her to know that everything in this building belonged to him. He kind of made you feel like you belonged to him too. We were just resources for him to use… not a good feeling.

Three Signs You’re a Horrible Leader

Needless to say, we did hit a few of our short-term goals with Bill at the helm, but the culture became so toxic that the best of the team began jumping ship. Bill was replaced by the executives in less than a year. Below are the three signs you’re not going to last as an effective leader. The best leaders know that the higher you climb in an organization, the more you need to understand the power of relationships.

1. You don’t make decisions in line with your core values

Knowing our core values helps to guide us in every decision we make. These core values guide us as we make daily decisions because we are able to quickly compare the decision options to what we believe in our core. These values get you and your organization moving toward tomorrow.

Just like individual leaders, organizations have defined core values to help guide the team toward the future. That future has been defined in the company’s vision statement. Vision statements outline what the organization wants to be in the future. It’s the destination the entire organization is moving toward. Simon Sinek points out the inspiring effects of not only knowing where you’re going but why you’re on this path in his book Start with Why – When we know our why, we know our core values!

How can you avoid? Be Authentic

Authenticity means knowing your core values and living by them. We cannot act in a way that contradicts our core values for very long. Eventually, our actions will reflect our core. Do you know your core values? Take some time today to document the 3 core values you hold close.

2. You can’t see a better future

When a leader can’t see a better future, they become stuck in today. Life becomes nothing more than a run-and-maintain cycle. If nothing is changing then no one is moving. And if no one is moving, then no one is leading because everyone is standing still. Quite frankly, if no one is moving you don’t need a leader! A leader can only lead when the group is moving to a new location. If you can’t see and communicate what that future looks like (the vision), you really have no business leading at all.

How can you avoid? Communicate a Vision for a Better Future

The best leaders I’ve had the privilege of working with over the past 20 years had so much certainty about the future it was as if they’d already been there. It’s like they were time travelers! These leaders could describe in detail what the future looked like. Their confidence and excitement were so infectious because they spoke of the future as if it was the past… like it had already been written!

We weren’t taking a chance on what might happen, we were just taking a trip to a new destination. It was as if we were driving the family station wagon to the Grand Canyon for vacation! Each of us had a crystal clear picture in our minds of where we were going and we fully trusted the leader to get us there. As John C. Maxwell says, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” It’s got to be REAL for the others to see it too.

3. You accomplish tasks through compliance

If you get things done with your team by coercing them into doing something, they may not be happy about doing it. Managers get things done one way or the other. If that means, “Do it or else!” then so be it! But, true leaders have followers… followers who want to follow. The key difference here is the true leaders will get things done, but with a team that wants to do it! There is a strong positive feeling attached to the task because it’s in line with the mission. It’s a mission that’s greater than any one individual. It has a much greater purpose, a higher calling. As a result, the team feels inspired to follow the leader, not threatened.

How can you avoid? Inspire the team to follow

Inspiration for a team places them smack dab in the middle of an adventure worth living. It puts each person in the role of a hero supporting a cause much bigger than themselves. Deep down we all want to know our lives have meaning. The inspiring leaders tap into this. They show the team how their individual roles play a vital part of a bigger-than-life story. Leaders with the ability to communicate a vision with authenticity create the inspiration the team is craving.

So how can you become a stronger leader?

According to this recipe, it’s simple… but I don’t pretend to think for a minute it’ll be easy. The model of focusing on 3 things to be a better leader is simple, but the implementation will be challenging. So, expect it to challenge you… but it’s also worth it!

Can I ask a favor?

If you know someone who may benefit from some of these communication blog posts, please share it with others. If you’ve got any feedback for me, please share it with me! I’d love to hear from you.

All the best,
Russ

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Books referenced in this post:

Start with Why, How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action – by Simon Sinek

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect – by John C. Maxwell

iSpeak teaches workshops on Professional Selling to help sales professionals gather the most important data and then use that information to align the right message. Are your sales presentations closing eyelids or deals?

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.