Leaders have many things in common including drive and vision. But we also have shortcomings (no surprise there), and most of us have more than a few. While a leader may choose to ignore his or her shortcomings or “sins,” that does not make them disappear. Others still see them, commiserate regarding them, and feel the consequences of them. Ignoring them only compounds the damage. Here are the seven deadly “sins” leaders prefer to ignore the most.
1. Self-serving actions.
If you were to ask leaders how much they are worth, some would think (and maybe even say), “A lot more than you!” For an organization to be exceptional, it takes every member of the team, but leaders who are guilty of deadly “sin” #1 are looking out only for themselves and in excessive ways. God says, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). But with deadly “sin” #1, it can feel like, “Forget to do good and do not share with others!”
2. Showing unmerited favoritism.
Have you ever been on a sports team, in a class, or on a work team where the boss played favorites? And not because of any merit such as the person was smarter or more talented than you, but because they either liked the person more or perhaps had other motives for favoring them. Regardless of the reason, deadly “sin” #2, showing unmerited favoritism, serves as a powerful demotivator to others on the team.
3. Not showing appreciation.
You work extra hard to complete a major project. You jump in to pick up the slack for a few other team members. You present a seminar that is rated A+ by participants. And that wonderful boss of yours commits deadly “sin” #3 – she doesn’t even say, “Excellent job,” or “Thanks, I appreciate what you did.” Even worse, she might take credit for some or all of it! And that is why not showing appreciation is called a deadly “sin” – it is defeating and deflating to any good team member.
4. Holding others to a higher standard than yourself.
The past year, we have had ample, very visible, and extremely embarrassing examples of leaders who have told their followers to do one thing while they were caught on social media doing the exact opposite. This has included leaders from all areas including education, politics, and church, to name just a few. Leaders who commit deadly “sin” #4 like to place burdens on others that they are not willing to carry themselves, and team members hate hypocrisy!
5. Failing to do what you promised.
You promised a team member a promotion or a raise but never followed through. You said, “Let’s get together for lunch,” but never did it. You publicly committed to delivering a product or service by a specific date, but it did not happen. When a leader makes promises and does not deliver on them, it not only disappoints others, it also results in declining trust and credibility. And that is what makes “sin” #5 so damaging.
6. Not giving clear expectations.
Picture a surgeon telling a nurse, “Hand me that thing.” And when the nurse expresses uncertainty, the surgeon gets angry. This is an example of deadly “sin” #6, unclear expectations. While most leaders think they are very clear in what they want and expect from their team, in reality, the team’s understanding is anything but clear. Expectations are not clear until they are mutually understood by both parties. It is hard to be successful when you are uncertain about what success looks like from the person who holds your career in his hands.
7. Providing minimal feedback.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that over the past 35 years of leading, I have heard hundreds of people tell me they receive little to no feedback on how they are doing, even though it costs zero dollars to do it. Deadly “sin” #7will result in disappointment, hurt, anger, and even lawsuits because people feel mistreated when they are suddenly told they are underperforming but were given very little feedback until the point of discipline or dismissal.
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Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.
