By Michael W. Hill, Mobius Vendor Partners Executive Consultant; Author of The 9 Keys to Leadership

I recently read an article that listed the 8 Signs to Quickly Point Out Someone With Bad Leadership Skills. At first, I thought this was an interesting title. But, then I thought why? Why not point out the good traits that a leader needs? So, I’m going to share some of the questions from my book: The 9 Keys to Leadership and how they can help you overcome the “bad” skills.

1. Lack of strategic vision and planning.
   1. Overcome this lack by asking yourself and your team:
      1. Do you have a vision for your company, team, or organization? Can you articulate it in writing? Does your vision have measurable steps?
      2. Can your team members repeat or restate the organization’s vision?
      3. Can you identify your competition? What makes your organization unique?
2. Treating people like numbers.
   1. Your employees are your number 1 asset—treat them as such. Ask these questions:
      1. What do you consider the hallmarks of a good team?
      2. How do you set and measure a team’s goals and objectives?
      3. Run a GAPS (G = Goals and values, A = Abilities, P = Perceptions,               S = Standards) analysis on your own team. What challenges and strengths do you identify?
3. Stifling innovation.
   1. Leaders don’t know it all. They need to be open and always search for innovative ideas. Ask these questions:
      1. What are you currently trying to learn? What is your routine for carving out time during the day to “learn” new things? What do you read or listen to on a daily or weekly basis?
      2. What is on your list of things you don’t know?
      3. Do you share information? How?
      4. How big is your network? Is it inside and outside your organization? Do you have a mentor or coach? Do you coach or mentor someone else?
4. Inadequate talent management.
   1. Leaders need to attract, retain, and develop the company’s talent. Here’s a few questions to help you:
      1. Are you hiring passionate employees?
      2. Ask questions to uncover what a candidate knows about your business and industry. How important are academic degrees to you vs. years of experience?
      3. What are the innate talents your employee are going to need in the future?
      4. What kind of onboarding program does your organization have?

Do you ever wonder: “do your employees see you as a leader”? This question can only be answered by the employees themselves. Maybe a survey would help. You might be making some assumptions that are just not correct! Some of your employees may currently be looking for employment elsewhere because they don’t feel that they are being led by a leader. 

You may want our help.

At Mobius’ Employee Experience – EX Consulting Employee Experience – Mobius Vendor Partners (mobiusvp.com) – we have the software to survey your employees so you can make the best decisions for your company and respond to your employees’ needs. Contact us to get started.

Mike’s book: The 9 Keys to Leadership can be found on Amazon.