13 mistakes “new learders” makes: This taboo number. As if older leaders ever diminish this number of mistakes!

Posted by: adonis49 on: September 24, 2012

• In: Essays | Human Factors/Ergonomics | political Artical | professional articles | social articles
• Leave a Comment

13 mistakes “new leaders” makes: This taboo number 13. As if older leaders ever diminish this number of mistakes!

There are different types of mistakes and errors that people commit, “leaders new and old” and no leaders…Just you and me…the little people

1. Mistakes “reserved” for management of people

2. Mistakes with complicated created “professional” terms attached to them

3. Mistakes organized in taxonomies, or check lists…

4. Mistakes never reminded of…and never accounted for…and never confronted with

Let start with the first category of mistakes that Dan Rockwell recollects:

“Mistakes matter more when you’re the new kid on the block. Long-term relationships contextualize and soften occasional screw ups. Here are 13 mistakes new leaders make:

1. Forgetting your arrival stresses others, including those who hired you. The stress you feel, others feel too. (What arrival?)
2. Proving technical skill. You don’t need to prove what you know. You did that when they hired you. Own the job. You’re qualified.
3. Reaching for big wins. Grab low hanging fruit. Win small – win often. Big wins are the result of a series of small wins.
4. Believing everything you’re told. People have agendas. Trust but verify.
5. Basing confidence in technical skills rather than the ability to learn.
6. Making yourself look good while neglecting others. You look good when you make others look good. Use “we” more than “I” or “me”.
7. Making statements before asking questions. Questions make new leaders look smart.
8. Forgetting what’s small to you is big to others. Before changing things ask, “Who’s impacted?”
9. Neglecting the social game. New leaders get so busy they forget to connect vertically and horizontally within organizations.
10. Not making decisions. Listen, investigate, seek suggestions, but whatever you do, decide.
11. Neglecting the players who really get things done while focusing on high-profile people. Play with players who aren’t official leaders.
12. Forgetting names. (That’s the hardest to overcome…especially when you substitute the names with nicknames that are never funny to the concerned persons…)
13. Making premature judgments about people. Watch the quiet ones. They offer more than you think. (And what if they keep hiding and refuse to meet you?)

Remember: When you feel the need to receive honor, give it.

Contributors own list of mistakes: Leadership Freak Coffee Shop (second question down the page)

What mistakes have you seen new leaders make?

How can new leaders avoid common new-leader mistakes?

Tags: adonis49, connect vertically, Dan Rockwell, leaders, Leadership Freak Coffee Shop, little people, management, Own the job, taxonomies of mistakes, Who’s impacted?, writing