How to FAIL as a Leader

How to FAIL as a Leader Part 1

Last night I wrote about Leadership and the 11 positive attributes of being a good leader. In reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill , he really lays it on the line what the qualities of a good and bad leader are. I know both types and have had both as bosses. Needless to say the ones who have the positive characteristics are much easier to work for and to be around. I personally don’t see why someone would choose be a negative leader unless they are just a negative, selfish person who is unhappy with the world. It doesn’t take any more energy to be positive than negative.

BUT if you really wanted to fail as a leader, Napoleon tells you how. He lists the 10 major causes of failure as a leader. Today I will cover the first 5 of them.

1. Inability to organize details. A successful leader is organized and capable of guiding the followers in every aspect of the project. He knows to the nth degree what needs to be done in order for the project to succeed. If you can’t organize or keep all the details of a project straight than how can you expect your followers to know what to accomplish. It would be like the blind leading the blind, hoping it somehow all works out. I have had bosses delegate yet have no clue what the end product looks like. I have also known bosses who can’t keep the day to day details of the business running smooth because they themselves aren’t organized enough to make sure B follows A.

2. Unwillingness to render humble service. A good leader does not mind getting down and dirty with the followers. A good leader never expects his followers to do something that he himself wouldn’t be willing to do. The scriptures say “The greatest among you shall be servant to all.” It is sad when you know that your boss feels something is beneath them yet they expect you to do it with a smile.

3. Expectation of pay for what they “know” instead of what they do with that which they know. The world does not pay people for their knowledge. There are a lot of people with a tremendous amount of knowledge doing nothing with their lives. A person has to take that knowledge, formulate it into a plan and do something with it before it becomes profitable. A person shouldn’t expect to just sit around in an office and just think with no production, and still get paid a leaders salary.

4. Fear of competition from followers. The leader who worries and frets that one of his underlings will come and take over and boot him out of a job will one day find his fears coming true. A leader needs to be secure in his leadership abilities, in his ability to motivate people to follow and do that which need to be done. Napoleon says “It’s an eternal truth that men receive more pay for their ability to get others to perform, than they could possibly earn by their own efforts.” If you are fretting about a hostile takeover then maybe you need to check your skills and see if you are truly the leader you think you are.

5. Lack of imagination. I wrote a few days ago about imagination. There is a true lack of creative imagination in today’s society. We have been trained not to freely think. But without imagination how can a leader fix a crisis or head off an emergency. A leader needs to be able to think outside the box. Otherwise you are going to be doing the same ole thing and getting the same ole results, and nothing changes.

My guess is that if you are reading this you just might want to be your own boss and leader. You are tired of being the follower and want to venture off and be the leader. I know that is the way I am. I am tired of having leaders who don’t care. Leaders who just want me to do the dirty work and get down and dirty with the clients. I don’t mind doing the dirty work. I don’t mind working hard. BUT I want to be my own boss. I want to be the one fine tuning the leadership skills. I want to be the one calling the shots. So, if this sounds like you. Tired of the 9 – 5 and negative bosses. Then you need to check out Empower Network. You need to take control of your life and be your own boss. Don’t let another day go by. You are already a day late.

Fill out the info and I will help you take control back of your life. See you on the other side.

Have a good one,
Charyl aka mom8isme
Empower Network