7 things leaders should stop doing

Here are a list of seven things that I think leaders should stop doing:

1. Stop being over sensitive to criticism.

Criticism is something that is unavoidable as a leader. It is a part of the leadership journey. There are going to be people who like the things you do and there are going to be those who don’t like the things you do or the way you do them. It is human to get hurt by some criticism but as a leader you cannot be over sensitive to this because you know it is a part of the journey. Complaining about criticism is like an athlete who complains about every practice session. Learn all you can from it and move on.

2. Stop criticizing.

Even though nobody really likes to be criticized, leaders can sometimes be quick to criticize others. Instead of criticizing others practise encouraging people. This will help both you and others around you. It will help you focus on what you need to do. It is important for leaders to focus and run their own race instead of always finding fault with others.

3. Stop being inflexible.

In Philippians 4:12 Paul says “I know both how to live in humble circumstances and how to live amid abundance.” This is a very important lesson for leaders. In a world that is constantly changing, leaders need to be flexible. We need to be open minded about the methods we use to reach our goals. There are many examples of businesses that are no more because they refused to be flexible.

4. Stop dwelling on the past.

This applies to both the good and bad times. It is dangerous for a leader to dwell on the good times because you can start to form the “good old days” mentality and it is dangerous to dwell on the bad times in the past because you tend to lose hope for the future. As leaders we need to look ahead to the future, never give up hope and continue to paint a clear picture for those who are following us.

5. Stop making excuses or blaming other for failure.

A leader must always take personal responsibility. He or she cannot make excuses or blame others on the team or in the organization. A leader needs to get comfortable about taking responsibility and at times taking the blame for failure. Even when a person on the team does not perform well, it is the job of the leader to coach and empower the person so that they can perform well.

6. Stop resisting change.

If we take sometime and look around, we will observe that pretty much everything that we see around us is a result of change. There is a high probability that most of the things that you use everyday has been a result of change in the last decade. Change is a part of life. Leaders who resist change not only hurt themselves but hurt the people that they are leading by stifling creativity in the followers.

7. Stop doing the unnecessary things.

Jim Collins is known for his stop doing list. What are some of the things that you have been doing for a long time which might not be giving you the results you want or need? Delegate them if they have to be done and use your time for more important things. A leaders time is one of the most valuable things. Using is wisely is vital to lead well.

What are your thoughts about the list and what would you add to this list?