8 Traits of Ineffective Leaders

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8 Traits of Ineffective Leaders

Posted on May 11th, 2010 by admin in Leadership

By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth

Ineffective Leaders I’m often asked if there is a simple test that can be used to quickly determine an executive’s leadership ability? The short answer is yes…There are in fact a great number of tests that can quickly assess leadership ability. Something as simple as a 360 Review, or as complex as a deep psychological profile (both with weighted emphasis on leadership aptitude) can point out an individual’s leadership capabilities. While much has been written about what leaders are, today’s post will highlight eight areas that will help you quickly pinpoint what leaders are not. The simple truth is that many people can feign adequate leadership ability in the short run, but the 8 traits outlined below will seperate the posers from the players 11 times out of 1o…

First of all, it is important to realize that just because someone is in a leadership position doesn’t necessarily mean they should be. Put another way, not all leaders are created equal. Frequent readers of this blog can find a veritable plethora of tips on becoming a better and more effective leader. However in the text that follows I’ll address how to spot ineffective leaders by assessing six critical areas of leadership DNA. While there are certainly more than six areas that can be examined when discussing leadership ability and aptitude, there is no possible way for a person in a leadership role to experience sustainable success as a senior executive if they have issues in the following areas:

Poor Character: A leader who lacks character or integrity will not endure the test of time. It doesn’t matter how intelligent, affable, persuasive, or savvy a person is, if they are prone to rationalizing unethical behavior based upon current or future needs they will eventually fall prey to their own undoing…
Little or No Track Record: While past performance is not always a certain indicator of future events, a long-term track record of success should not be taken lightly. Someone who has consistently experienced success in leadership roles has a much better chance of success than someone who has not. Bottom line…unproven leaders come with a high risk premium.
Poor Communication Skills: Show me a leader with poor communication skills and I’ll show you someone who will be short-lived in their position. Great leaders can communicate effectively across mediums, constituencies, and environments. They are active listeners, fluid thinkers, and know when to press-on and when to back-off.
Self-Serving Nature: If a leader doesn’t understand the concept of “service above self” they will not engender the trust, confidence, and loyalty of those they lead. Any leader is only as good as his or her team’s desire to be led by them. An over abundance of ego, pride, and arrogance are not positive leadership traits. Long story short; if a leader receives a vote of non-confidence from their subordinates…game over.
One Size Fits All Leadership Style: Great leaders are fluid and flexible in their approach. They understand the power of, and necessity for contextual leadership. “My way or the highway” leadership styles don’t play well in today’s world, will result in a fractured culture, and ultimately a non-productive organization. Only those leaders who can quickly recognize and adapt their methods to the situation at hand will be successful over the long haul.
Lack of Focus and Follow-Through: Those leaders who lack the focus and attention to detail needed to apply leverage and resources in an aggressive and committed fashion will perish. Leaders who do not possess a bias toward action, or who cannot deliver on their obligations will not be successful. Leadership is about performance…Intentions must be aligned with results for leaders to be effective.
Not Forward Looking: Leaders satisfied with the status quo, or who tend to be more concerned about survival than growth won’t do well over the long-run. The best leaders are focused on leading change and innovation to keep their organizations fresh, dynamic and growing. Bottom line – leaders who build a static business doom themselves to failure.
Not Customer Focused: Leaders not attuned to the needs of the market will fail. As the old saying goes, if you’re not taking care of your customers, someone else will be more than happy to. Successful leaders focus on customer satisfaction and loyalty. They find ways to consistently engage them and incorporate them into their innovation and planning initiatives. If you ignore, mistreat, or otherwise don’t value your customer base, your days as a leader are most certainly numbered.

The moral of this story is leaders need to be honest, have a demonstrated track record of success, be excellent communicators, place an emphasis on serving those they lead, be fluid in approach, have laser focus, and a bias toward action. If these traits are not possessed by your current leadership team you will be in for a rocky road ahead…

Which of these traits stand out to you? Do you have any other signs of ineffective leaders worthy of mention? Leave a comment and share your insights with others…

Share and Enjoy:

Comments (65)

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38365 Responses8+Traits+of+Ineffective+Leaders2010-05-11+16%3A01%3A56admin to “8 Traits of Ineffective Leaders”

Oscar, on May 11th, 2010 at 10:03 am Said:

Great list. I think No.3 and No.6 are critical and much more important than the rest. I think if you can communicate accurately and effective you can make a huge difference. And No. 6 is good as well, a good leader must push through despite distractions and setbacks.
Scott Gould, on May 11th, 2010 at 5:43 pm Said:

Mike,

Powerful words.

One on front, I can see how I have grown in these over the years. I was looking at some journals from 5 years ago, and I have, thankfully, overcome some serious issues I had.

But there are many I still fall short on – most of all, communication.

I'm about to start reading more on communication – especially with relaying tasks and with presenting. Any recommendations? Is there anything on your blog I should read?

Thanks for this,
Scott
Gordon R. Clogston, on May 11th, 2010 at 5:52 pm Said:

Mike, once again your perspective has provided the opportunity to succinctly clarify an otherwise unwieldy topic. I read through your list a couple times prior to submitting this comment and I believe that you have nailed it.

And though I do appreciate why and how some people may think that one or more of these characteristics are more important than the others, the reality is that you must have them all in order to stand the test of time. None of us are machines and therefore it is not likely that we will be uniformly skilled in all areas, but we must not kid ourselves, we must not only have these characteristics, but we must meet the minimum perceived acceptance or we will fail.

Well done. Keep them coming Mike.
mikemyatt, on May 11th, 2010 at 6:38 pm Said:

Hi Scott:

Thanks for the comments and based upon our last conversation I found your communication skills to be excellent (must be the British charm). If you're interested in doing some reading on the subject, feel free to peruse the communications category on the blog:http://www.n2growth.com/blog/category/communicati...
mikemyatt, on May 11th, 2010 at 6:39 pm Said:

Thanks for stopping by Oscar – I appreciate your insights.
mikemyatt, on May 11th, 2010 at 6:42 pm Said:

Hi Gordon:

Thanks for the kind words and keen observations. You are spot-on with your assertion that effective leaders are well-rounded leaders. Having leadership blind-spots or gaps in critical skill sets will simply result in unnecessary chaos and discord. Always appreciate your thoughts Gordon.
mikemyatt, on May 11th, 2010 at 8:02 pm Said:

Scott:

After I finished my last reply, I was thinking about communicators that I really admire, in terms of recommending some reading beyond my blog. I would strongly suggest following these four individuals as they are marvelous communicators who possess excellent business acumen as well:
@BertDecker
@ScottMckain
@MichaelHyatt
@wallybock
Akhilesh, on May 11th, 2010 at 8:48 pm Said:

Great Post!!!
Scott Gould, on May 11th, 2010 at 9:15 pm Said:

Thanks Mike

I know that I can communicate well – but I know I can also a lot better. I often find myself, as I'm communicating, thinking how poor a job I am doing.

Will soak up your post you mentioned and follow these people too

Thanks
mikemyatt, on May 11th, 2010 at 10:16 pm Said:

Thanks Akhilesh…
landoncreasy, on May 12th, 2010 at 5:06 am Said:

Hi Mike,
Great post. Of all of the categories you've named I view "Poor Character" as the deal-breaker. All of the other hurdles can be remedied by feedback and experience. After all, few of us started out our lives as either forward thinkers or great communicators; we were mentored and taught these skills.

In my opinion, poor character is something I don't believe you can mentored out of. By the time you reach the positions we're talking about, you either understand integrity or you don't.

Thanks, as always, for giving me something to think about!

Landon Creasy http://landoncreasy.wordpress.com/
mikemyatt, on May 12th, 2010 at 5:22 am Said:

Hi Landon:

Thanks for your comment. I agree that character is the gold standard of leadership traits. I also agree that by the time leaders have the maturity and experience to be senior executives they should display consistently sound character. That said, I believe character is developed, and can be refined over time. Moreover, I have witnessed many leaders make mistakes and stumble, only to learn from their mistakes and become stronger in character. I always appreciate your thoughts Landon…
landoncreasy, on May 12th, 2010 at 5:37 am Said:

Mike – I agree that mistakes can be made. The poor character I'm talking about mainly relates to lack of integrity.
Cheers,
L
mikemyatt, on May 12th, 2010 at 11:53 am Said:

Hi Landon:

This is a bit of a ticklish subject for many, and probably one too difficult to address in a short comment. I know exactly what you're saying about integrity. In fact, even a momentary lapse in integrity can cause a leader to lose the confidence of their stakeholders and even the public at large. A single breech of trust by a leader often can and often should lead to immediate termination. Wrongdoing is certainly wrongdoing and good intentions don’t justify deviant behavior.

All of that said, I also don't believe that a single event in most cases should define the entirety of a person's future as much as it should serve as an opportunity to refine their character so that they can have a bigger impact and stronger future. We need to keep in mind that all people make mistakes, and that mistakes don’t necessarily make you evil they just make you human. So long as true remorse and contrition are present, and the exception doesn't become the rule, grace, understanding and forgiveness are some of the most powerful traits a leader can display.
mikemyatt, on May 12th, 2010 at 12:04 pm Said:

Jamie –

Two great points…leaders who allow themselves to fail, and to learn from their mistakes are the leaders who tend to accomplish the most in terms of personal, professional and organizational change and growth. There is a quiet confidence that comes from a strong experiential base, and as much as we wish it wasn't so, not all experiences are pleasant ones. That said, risk needs to be balanced with opportunity so that ill-conceived or reckless mistakes don't unnecessarily take too large of a toll. Thanks for stopping by Jamie.
jamiefavreau, on May 12th, 2010 at 7:43 am Said:

You have to appreciate where you have been and allow yourself to fail to be a great leader. Sometimes it is the quiet nature and the fact you have done it before which gives a person respect.

Thanks for the list of what not to do.
Bruno, on May 13th, 2010 at 12:50 pm Said:

This is a great list, however I would add one more: Not a good listener.
While this could fit in either #3 or #4 I believe it qualifies for a one specific trait.

In my experience, when a leader is too worried for how he/she is perceived above in the org-chart they typically stop listening. Sometimes they just are too self-paid and think they don't need to.

Either way -if you want to get things done through your team and have them engaged, one of the things I have learned is this: Listen to them. Listen well and make sure they feel that way. Whether you agree or not. That's not the point.

Great blog.
Skip Weisman, on May 13th, 2010 at 1:23 pm Said:

Mike,
I love your points above and have a couple of comments that will hopefully add value.

1) The biggest challenge I've found in coaching leaders to overcome these issues is one of ego and blind spots. They have to have the confidence and maturity to lead with one of my <a href="http://www.weismansuccessresources.com/the-5-traits-of-a-champ-leader/"
target="_blank">5 CHAMP Leader Traits – "Humility" – so they are open to looking frankly at themselves and be open to constructive feedback from others in these areas.

2) Communication skills are so huge and so all encompassing in so many areas, its hard to get a handle on it, I believe. It's sort of like trying to squash a drop of mercury. Even great communicators subconsciously sabotage their leadership capabilities by making simple lapses. I've categorized them into <a href="http://www.HowToImproveLeadershipCommunication.com/"
target="_blank">"The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership Communication" that you and your readers may find interesting.

3) In terms of being "Customer Focused" one area to reinforce many times is the internal customer. Sometimes we are so focused on our external customer, the one who's money we rely on for the success of our business, that we forget that our internal customers (our employees) are the vital cog in making sure the external customer gets served at a high level. If we're not taking care of those on the home front, they are the ones dealing with the customer setting the perception of our company in the minds of the consumer.

Thanks for allowing me the opportuinity to contribute to your post.
Skip
Frank, on May 13th, 2010 at 1:27 pm Said:

While I agree this list indicates what should constitute an Ineffective Leader (and it is very well articulated), it doesn't hold up to my direct experience with corporate leadership. I've had the unfortunate experience of working for people who were guilty of any one – or more – of the list above, and a couple who were guilty of ALL the listed offenses. But they retained their leadership positions for a very long time…
Robin Currie, on May 13th, 2010 at 1:38 pm Said:

Thanks for the article. This is especially important now as some companies are fighting their way out of survival mode and executing a growth strategy through hiring. #5 is particularly critical.
yogidad, on May 13th, 2010 at 2:09 pm Said:

As a professional engineer, the greatest failure of the engineering schools is the lack of teaching of the communication skills. Most engineers coming out of college can not communicate either in writing or verbally. And they never learn. As a result, they may be promoted to positions based on technical skills but when it comes to dealing with people they oversee, they end up making a mess of things. And to cover, they let their egos get in the way, in which they blame others, morale crashes, mutiny starts, the person is removed,, anotther poor communicator is promoted, and we now complete teh loop and start over. Great post which I have seen over and over again as a technical leader. Put this scenario into a government run agency and you have a real screw up. Sort of like we are at now.
Pinaki Roy, on May 13th, 2010 at 2:18 pm Said:

A simply great piece. While I fully agree to all the 8 points I personally feel that another negative attribute could be ' not having faith in your colleauges or juniors & often suspecting every move of theirs'.
I'd love your comment.
Tony Raccio, on May 13th, 2010 at 2:30 pm Said:

Clear and concise list that everyone in a Leadership capacity should check out. I can see where I need to improve and my strong points. We are in the business of Talent aquisition for contract work and it is important highlight both the technical and soft skills in a capabilities statement for our clients. Thanks Mike I plan to share this with our recruiters!
Tilly, on May 13th, 2010 at 2:51 pm Said:

Mike – I see that I fall short in the very important #6. Part of that is in my personality and I try to work on it (by focusing, as opposed to reading and commenting on blogs! but the other is in my situation – too much on my plate to be able to get to some important long-term objectives. Right now this is mostly due to the economic downturn (staffing reductions) and the great job I do with my work, I guess, that keeps it pouring in. No particular point here to be made, just a comment that such issues are not always straight-forward. Thoughts?
Steve Silbar, on May 13th, 2010 at 3:11 pm Said:

Mike,

A great list and certainly spot on. I think that #1, 4, and 8 stand out as having poor character promotes other's viewing you as a "used car salesman;" operating under a self-serving nature is never a viable long-term startegy and those that you lead will stray or lose confidence in the integrity of their leader; and not being customer focused is a short pathway to quickly downgrading your brand and puts market share at risk. Once you lose any of these critical components it is very difficult to replace or repair.

Steve Silbar
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 3:41 pm Said:

Hi Bruno:

Great catch – listening skills should definitely be included on the list. Leaders that don't listen well simply cannot be tuned-in to to the pulse of their organization. You might be interested in the following post which addresses this issue in greater detail:http://www.n2growth.com/blog/the-power-of-listeni...

Thanks for stopping by Bruno.
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 3:45 pm Said:

Hi Skip:

Thanks for the insightful comments, all of which by the way are spot-on. I'm not familiar with your work, but look forward to reading your posts and getting to know you better. Thanks for stopping by Skip.
Mr MattM, on May 13th, 2010 at 3:46 pm Said:

I might suggest that Inconsistency can also be a trademark of an Ineffective Leader, even absent all other traits.
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 3:49 pm Said:

Frank –

One of the things I've learned over the years is that there are people who seem to defy the odds and survive in spite of themselves. That said, they tend to be the exceptions and not the norm. I truly believe that leaders who operate in contravention to what has been espoused above do so not only at their own peril, but also to the detriment of those they lead. Thanks for sharing Frank…
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 3:51 pm Said:

Hi Robin:

Good point – There's never a bad time to be forward looking. That said, you're correct in your assertion that it's difficult to navigate changing and complex markets without flexibility, fluidity and contextual awareness. Thanks Robin.
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 3:57 pm Said:

Communication is central to leadership success. As you so correctly pointed out, we've all known brilliant people who limited their impact simply due to a lack of communication ability. You might be interested in the following post which fleshes this out in greater detail:http://www.n2growth.com/blog/unwritten-rules-of-c...
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 4:00 pm Said:

Excellent point – A paranoid leader is not an effective leader. Success is not built upon the backs of others, but rather by helping others. If a leader doesn't value other team members, he/she simply limits the potential of the entire organization.
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 4:01 pm Said:

Glad the post was of benefit and thanks in advance for your willingness to share with others…All the best Tony.
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 4:05 pm Said:

Hi Tilly

Rarely are things ever as simple as they appear at first blush. That said, your point about resourcing is a good one. You might be interested in the following post that address your concerns in greater detail:http://www.n2growth.com/blog/resourcing-101-for-c...

I hope this helps Tilly
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 4:12 pm Said:

So true Steve…I particularly like your thought that points out that it is far easier to maintain or advance a good reputation than it is to repair a damaged one. Great insight for people to take to heart. Thanks Steve.
Teresa Thompson, on May 13th, 2010 at 4:21 pm Said:

And why do we continue to see executives without these key ingredients? It is a beautiful list; however, I have not experienced many leaders in upper management with all of them. A CEO with all of these would deliver amazing results guaranteed. The problem is they do not get to that seat precisely because they have these traits. America's boardrooms do not value their leaders this way. Mid management leaders with these traits are highly successful. Missing just one can be survived but two leaves a hole somewhere. Great list! I will think on this most of the day I am sure.
Teresa http://www.dailyvoicemaildealio.com
Your Virtual Retail Coach!
8 Signs of Lousy Leadership: Look in the mirror, how are you doing?, on May 13th, 2010 at 10:33 am Said:

[...] Myatt just posted an article titled 8 traits of Ineffective Leaders that caught my eye. I am sure everyone can identify a lousy leader in their life be it their [...]
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 5:18 pm Said:

Matt:

Great point – consistency matters, and the lack thereof will cause confidence in leadership to be damaged. Thanks Matt…
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 5:22 pm Said:

Hi Teresa:

You should look at Frank's earlier comment as it is very similar to yours. My rebuttal there also applies here. The interesting thing is that Boards are actually starting to come around in terms of what they want in a CEO. I was on a call with a private equity firm earlier this week assessing one of their portfolio executives and as an investor board member he was absolutely dialed into the right issues…Thanks for stopping by Teresa.
Gary Hanagami, on May 13th, 2010 at 6:08 pm Said:

Very good article. I would also add that a lousy leader tends to "over delegate" and rather than taking the responsibility to personally initiate a process or change; essentially delegating away their responsiblity as well as their authority. Add that to the article's "lack of follow through" and you've got an organization stymied.
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 6:54 pm Said:

Great point Gary – Ineffective leaders often confuse delegation with abdication. When no one is in charge, a lack of accountability exists, and responsibility is not aligned with authority bad things tend to happen. Thanks for adding to the discussion Gary…
Brian, on May 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pm Said:

Maybe it's implied in one or more of the eight you have already listed, but indecisiveness is a total leadership killer. I can't tell you how many managers I've worked with (or for) that couldn't make the most basic decision without three meetings, a couple of conference calls a deck or two (ugh, PowerPoint!), only to take full credit if all goes well or hide behind the committee if the decision proves to be the wrong one (which might actually be yet another point — CYA anyone?).
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 7:12 pm Said:

Hi Brian:

Excellent thought – read this post and pay particular attention to point #6:http://www.n2growth.com/blog/ceo-decisioning – We are on the same page on this Brian. Thanks for commenting.
Brian, on May 13th, 2010 at 7:45 pm Said:

Excellent post! I'm glad I found this site…
Madeline., on May 13th, 2010 at 8:17 pm Said:

Leaders need to have a passion for what their company does or creates, not just a passion for the money it can make.

Leaders need to have an profound appreciation for all the people working for them and the skills they bring to the table. Without them, not only is there no one to lead, but in many cases there would not be a product to sell or a service to offer.
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 8:29 pm Said:

Glad you enjoyed it Brian…
mikemyatt, on May 13th, 2010 at 8:32 pm Said:

Hi Madeline – I completely agree with your sentiments. To build an extraordinary company, you must light the fire in the bellies of your workforce…You must get them to feel passion about your organization and to connect with your vision. You must get your employees to engage. As the CEO, your ability to transfer your passion to your employees is the essence of being a great leader…So much so that if you can’t accomplish this, you simply can’t be a great leader. Think of any great leader, and while you’ll find varying degrees of skill sets, intellect and ability, I challenge to name even one that did not have passion, as well as the ability to instill said passion in team members.
frustrated, on May 14th, 2010 at 10:32 am Said:

Your list is nice, but in the real world there are plenty of people in leadership positions who are ineffective, yet stay there and enjoy success because of who they know. It happens more often than anyone would like to admit.
Earl C Wallace, on May 14th, 2010 at 12:47 pm Said:

Great points. My book, The Three-Dimensional Leader supports a lot of these points by explaining how leaders need to see what they are tasked to achieve in terms of my MRC concepts of mission, resources and context. When we view our responsibilities three-dimensionally as if through a prism that simultaneously allows us to keep focused on the MRC concepts, we will make better mission-focused decisions that are based upon how our resources must be deployed to accomplish them, and we will operate in ethical ways that resonate with our partners and employees.

Visithttp://www.ThreeDimensionalLeader.com to learn more about the leadership system.
Oscar Schwartz, on May 14th, 2010 at 7:39 am Said:

A good leader is,also, the one that after having faced a failure, stops to analyze the reasons for having taken the wrong steps and tries to avoid it in the future.
Failures teach and hardens an intelligent leader who will apply its learnings in its future actions.And regarding the 8 traits I believe that a good leader has to have all of them in great proportions. Not one should miss. This message is originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina
mikemyatt, on May 14th, 2010 at 2:56 pm Said:

There is truth in what you say, and you're not the only one that feels this way. See my response to Frank's comment as I address your concern there. Thanks for commenting.
mikemyatt, on May 14th, 2010 at 2:58 pm Said:

Hi Earl:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and informing me of your book.
mikemyatt, on May 14th, 2010 at 2:59 pm Said:

Great comment about the need for leaders to possess vision. Thanks for adding to the discussion Oscar
Erik Walczak, on May 14th, 2010 at 5:12 pm Said:

Scott,
Perhaps look into if there is a "Toastmaster's" club near you. http://www.toastmasters.org/
Corporate Sin « ^_^, on May 14th, 2010 at 11:34 am Said:

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Dwight, on May 14th, 2010 at 6:33 pm Said:

Oscar… they are all important but none of them make any differance if you don't understand your customer.
Ginnie, on May 14th, 2010 at 10:30 pm Said:

Interesting that you did not include having a clear vision. Any comments?
mikemyatt, on May 14th, 2010 at 5:18 pm Said:

Hi Ginnie:

I had to leave something for the smart one's to bring-up:). In all seriousness, I write so often on vision that I wanted to give some air to other less discussed aspects. In retrospect, I probably should have followed my own advice "no real discussion on executive leadership should take place without an emphasis on CEO Visioning." Following is a post that sums up my feelings on the subject: http://www.n2growth.com/blog/visioning-for-ceos

Thanks Ginnie
GeekCoach, on May 15th, 2010 at 1:01 am Said:

Great post! You made some excellent points. In addition, I think there needs to be a focus on leading through others. As a senior leader, you are the rudder of the boat who guides your team to success. That involves delegation and direction setting and encouragement and support.

Another key leadership trait is personal adaptability and having a learning orientation. The world is changing quickly and good leaders adapt and learn and change with it.

Regards, GeekCoach
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mikemyatt, on May 15th, 2010 at 2:49 pm Said:

Both comments are spot-on. Leading though others and remaining adaptable to the fluidity of the market are both traits that will serve you well. Thanks for commenting.
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Anna, on May 17th, 2010 at 2:48 pm Said:

Frank,
I find myself in just this current situation. After 15 years of being in a position I absolutely love, a new VP has put me in a position of needing to seek legal council and look for a new job. Yet the CEO and BOD seem to love him. I am not completely disillusioned with and entire organization that would have brought this person to the company to start with.
Jay Young, on May 18th, 2010 at 8:49 pm Said:

This is a good post and addresses many of the worst characteristics of ineffective leadership. Effectiveness should be the litmus test for leadership. For more check out "Are You Ineffective?" on Amazon. Others include a lack of focus on culture, failure to question assumptions, and poor innovation.
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LaSSar2000 Blog » Blog Archive » 8 Traits of Ineffective Leaders | N2Growth Blog, on June 7th, 2010 at 6:04 am Said:

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