BUSINESS COWARD

 

Wanting to please others, avoid failure and evade hard decisions are three weaknesses associated with leaders who display cowardly behaviour. Though many organizations often excuse these development gaps as harmless habits, in reality, they can rub off and have a detrimental impact on those being led. But there are a few things you can do to avoid the fallout from working for a cowardly boss. First, do not gossip behind your boss’s back - it will only make you look bad. Instead, study his behaviour. What makes your boss fearful? If you were in his shoes, what would you do differently? Next, do not be afraid to talk openly about difficult decisions you are facing. Making your hard choices visible to your colleagues is a good way to set the example and by exercising courage, you can protect and grow it. Finally, as difficult as it might seem, ask your boss for the things you want and need. Being direct in this situation may be the best way to get them.

SIGNS OF A BUSINESS COWARD.

You solve everyone’s problems.

There is really not much to explain about this one. You may believe that constantly solving other people problems will cost you your most valuable asset - Your Time!  Manage your anxiety and have a little faith in others. Your co-workers and staff will improve significantly and you will be much happier.

You are never ‘quite ready’.

Your leadership style tends to involve spending too much time getting ready to get ready. Your toolkit is full of workshops, committees, meetings and protocol. You do not want to make mistakes. You avoid the moment of truth by categorically getting ready. Should you prepare? Sure! Do your research? Certainly. But stop hiding behind the “we are not quite ready” excuse. Be decisive and just do it - even if conditions are not perfect.

You are a micro manager.

You think accountability means constantly hovering over your co-workers or employees to ensure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, in the way you think they should be doing it. This is not Leadership. I believe that it is really simple. Do your job and let others do theirs, or get rid of incompetent employees and replace them with people who can get the job done.

You are an easy way-out kind of person.

You avoid decisive action or decisions in general because it makes you uncomfortable. You tend to rationalize and explain why you did not do what you really needed to do.  For you, it is much easier to avoid taking action (at least in the short term) but it is also a sure trait that signals mediocrity and stagnation.

You are a pretender.

You pretend you do not know about a high performer who is behaving badly. You pretend that your key client is not crushing your employee morale. Maybe you even pretend you do not know it is time for you to move on. All of this pretending allows you to avoid the pain and makes you feel good in the short term, but it exacts a heavy price over time.

You are the Black & White guy.

You regularly struggle to analyse situations. You do not know how to balance your head and your guts. It takes both facts and intuition to analyse situations effectively. Step outside your comfort zone when it is time to make decisions. The perception of your leadership will be enhanced, the performance of your team will improve and people will likely trust you more if you lead with both your head and your guts.

You suffer from ‘shiny ball’ syndrome. 

Most of us do not want to say 'no' to distractions because what we should be focusing on may be difficult. 'Shiny ball' syndrome can be managed but it requires real courage and discipline to stay focused and on task. If we cannot achieve focus and manage what is expected of us, we will drown in our own chaos. We will fail to do the important things and we will fail as leaders.

You regularly blame others.

You are one of those energy-draining, counterproductive people who deal with difficult circumstances via blame. You are not the one to take action to change your circumstances because it is always someone else’s problem. Real leaders are driven by the importance of removing excuses and blame from themselves and their organisations.

You ignore what is causing ‘parachute popping’ in your company.

Maybe it is a policy, a person, or a mindset that is holding you or your team back from optimal performance. Ask yourself now: what am I doing or not doing, that is causing people to ‘pop’ (i.e. deploy) their parachutes? Try to be courageous and assist in removing all the obstacles that you can.  Work around the guys who always have parachutes strapped to their backs so that you can stay productive, directed and focused.

You are a ‘fact listener’ who is not open to discovery.

This tendency is so strong that it blinds you from seeing alternatives, opportunities or contrary evidence. If you do not listen to the “whole” information vs. just the facts as you know them, you would not see other possibilities.

You reward being busy as opposed to delivering results.

You worry about upsetting your team or employees, so you do not set the right expectations. True leaders lay out what is expected in the most effective way possible and are clear about the consequences of not meeting them.

You clutter is obstructing your view.

You are the type who has more meetings, more calls, more emails to read and send and more of everything else to obsess over. Cluttered mindsets and work styles are clear signs of fear and/or disorganisation. Let go and remove some of that clutter so you can free up the time to do what truly inspires and moves you. Try it! You’ll realise this may be the best reason of all to confront your hidden fears and vanquish your inner professional coward.

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