3 Things That Get in the Way of a Leader’s Success

There are no shortage of obstacles all of us face regularly. Any of us could cite multiple challenges that prevent us from reaching higher levels of success. Would we cite ourselves as one of those obstacles? Yikes. That might sting more than we care to admit. However, the best leaders do make time to evaluate what they may be doing to themselves that prevents them from reaching the full potential of the moment or season of life. Here are three things that commonly befall leaders and become bigger obstacles than they realize.

Substituting Busyness for Productivity

“I am so busy,” or, “things are just so busy right now,” are both common responses when asked, “how are you?” Often, I am certain, these are merely meant as polite, general responses without much real thought given. Both are seen as acceptable and relatable answers. Yes, we are all busy. It would be odd if someone responded to the question, ‘Huh, now that you asked, not much. I am bored a lot of the time, in fact.” It might be funny to actually try that, keep a straight face, and see what type of counter-response that elicits. We live in a world where busy is normal, and even seen as a badge of honor. However, the type of busyness many of us experience is not the good kind. It is the type where our days are filled, morning to night, with seemingly little time to get deep work done or break away for non-work activities. It is important as leaders to take time to evaluate your schedules, your planning, and your productivity.

When a large project comes along, or a specific initiative kicks off, we recognize the need for additional time dedicated to the success of that activity. However, what often occurs, is that we add that dedicated time for the new cause into the normal routines. We then become stuck in a self-perpetuating cycle of working extended periods of time. Ensure you build in time to evaluate your schedule, even complete an updated time-study at the end of each project (or even just do this monthly for yourself), to ensure you are putting your time to good use.

Beating Yourself Up For Mistakes

Do you tell yourself the kinds of encouraging things you tell a friend or a peer when they share their troubles or mistakes? If you’re like me, probably not. You are much tougher on yourself than you ever would be to a friend or colleague. Why?

From: Dan Rockwell and his Leadership Freak blog:

You will make mistakes. That doesn’t mean you are those mistakes.

You will react (emotionally). That doesn’t make you those emotions.

These are really good thoughts to keep in mind as you are evaluating how you did something, and begin to ‘beat yourself up’ for any mistakes you identify or assume were made.

We all make mistakes. You do not have to, nor should you, penalize yourself for the errors made.

- Learn from them.

- Grow.

- Make adjustments.

- Make amends if needed.

- Move on.

Again, from the Leadership Freak blog:

- The toughest battles you face express the war within.

- Beating yourself up doesn’t lift you up.

- Beating yourself up isn’t moral superiority.

Be kind to yourself. When mistakes are made, treat yourself like you would your best friend. Be honest, provide encouragement, be supportive. Then, move on.

Doing Too Much Yourself

It’s just faster if I do it.

Wrong. Well, at least wrong for the long-term. If life and leadership were only single events, that could be closer to true (though I’d still debate it). Taking on too many things is a trap most, if not every leader, has fallen into. It feels much easier to just do everything yourself, because then there’s no need to show anyone else how you would like it done. Here’s the thing: you can’t do everything yourself. Others may even be better at it than you. They may also be quicker at it once they learn the steps. And finally, it is a way to grow and develop those around you. Take the burden off yourself and let others do some of the work also.

Everyone is busy. Everyone makes mistakes. And most feel as though it is easier to do things themselves. All of these are obstacles leaders must overcome. Don’t substitute busy for productive. Know what needs to get done, and when, then focus on those. Learn from mistakes. Don’t waste time beating yourself up for them. Frequently, the mistake wasn’t even as bad as you thought. Keep things in perspective, grow, and take on the next thing on your list. Sharing the workload with others is not only helpful for you, but in many cases developmental for them. It does require some upfront investment of time, but is almost always an investment that pays back dividends.

You can take these three hurdles and turn them into stepping stones for success.

How will you avoid these three common barriers leaders find themselves facing?

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