5 Beliefs That Undermine a Leader’s Influence and Success

Posted on 31. Oct, 2011 by Shawn Murphy in 1 Leadership

When you take a leadership role you don’t take an oath promising to lead selflessly and act with the good of the whole in mind. No. In reality, taking a leadership role is largely a non-event. Perhaps a few congratulatory handshakes and emails might mark the occasion.

But the occasion of taking a leadership role is a big deal. A significant amount of trust and faith is behind the decision to appoint a leader. The degree of success is predicated on many factors. A significant factor influencing a leader’s success is the beliefs she holds about her role.

Throughout a leader’s career many beliefs will hold her attention and guide her actions. I want to point out five that will significantly limit a leader’s influence on people, projects, and ultimately business results.

Needing to be first This belief places leaders at the center of a team. The leader’s needs are considered before other’s. A leader’s opinions drown out alternative perspectives and ideas. There’s an inability to compromise. It’s a self-centered belief that leaves no room for collaboration, innovation. Relationships suffer.

Needing to be right The need to be right makes a leader argumentative, impulsive. It can cause a leader to be deceitful in extreme cases. This belief dismantles partnerships. It poisons team dynamics. A leader’s need to be right limits success.

Self-worry Consumed by worries of performance, decision quality, or any other leadership act, a leader’s self-worry inhibits swift action. Self-worry, or worrying about one’s self, prevents leaders from easing tensions in difficult times. It places doubt in other’s minds.

Needing to be seen A trend is emerging with these beliefs: they are self-centered. Needing to be seen drives leaders to make grand promises to Boards that make them look good. The need to be seen as innovative or creative, or whatever desired adjective for the situation, overrides what’s important for the team, for the business.

Being overlooked “All that hard work better pay off!” This isn’t really a belief. It’s the sister to Needing to be seen. It’s a fear too important to not include in this list. To let the fear of being overlooked drive reasons for doing good work is to completely miss the point of leading. Don’t focus on being overlooked. Focus on supporting the team and creating an environment that unleashes people’s talents.

At the core of these five beliefs is a self-centered view of leadership. Great work is compromised by a leader who clings to these beliefs. The oath mentioned in the opening may not be ceremoniously conducted. It should, however, be mentally reinforced by any leader in any role.

In these complicated, dynamic times we need leaders of strong character who help others realize how great they are or can be.

Tags: bad management, dysfunctional leaders, self-centered leaders

10 Responses to “5 Beliefs That Undermine a Leader’s Influence and Success”

Suzanne

01. Nov, 2011

How true -a great leader is really a servant who boosts others.

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- Shawn Murphy
  
  01. Nov, 2011
  
  That’s it, bottom line, Suzanne. Thank you for stopping by and sharing, too.
  
  Shawn
  
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Suchitra Mishra

01. Nov, 2011

Hello Shawn,

Excellent post as always and reminded me of this Lao Tzu wisdom nugget :

The best leader is one
whose existence is barely known by the people.
Next comes one whom they love and praise.
Next comes one they fear.
Next comes one they defy.

To your list, I would also add “Needing to be Feared/Respected” – This is linked to your “Needing to be First” point. Many leaders assume that their position automatically puts them in a “demi-god” position and people should fall in line and look up to them. It is only the select best that realize that respect is earned and you have to give respect to get respect.

Regards,
Suchitra

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- Shawn Murphy
  
  01. Nov, 2011
  
  Suchitra,
  I attended a webinar today lead by John Baldoni. In it he said “leadership is a choice.” Too often we work with leaders who never made the choice. They merely act a part but forgot to chose the work. For if they had chosen, they’d realize that leadership isn’t about anything listed above or your two excellent additions.
  
  Always good to see you here Suchitra adding your insights to the conversation.
  
  Shawn
  
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Bruce Sallan (@BruceSallan)

01. Nov, 2011

I don’t understand the problem? I’m ALWAYS right – at least that’s what I tell my boys (and wife)! Lol…

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- Shawn Murphy
  
  01. Nov, 2011
  
  Bruce Bruce Bruce,
  Whatever will we do with you? =)
  
  Shawn
  
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Brian Vickery

01. Nov, 2011

Great post, Shawn! I love the “limiting factors”. The Needing to be First and Needing to be Right are team killers, so I am glad you mentioned both of them.

When you get to a point in leadership, and self-esteem, where you take more satisfaction out of seeing your teammates and employees succeed…then you have truly gone Good to Great in my opinion. You may be a great individual contributor and rock star, but that isn’t scalable nor does it offer longevity. TEACH others. Your true success will be judged on whether the team/company survives the next generation of workers.

I am really looking forward to how this affects Apple in the post-Jobs era.

Reply to this comment
- Shawn Murphy
  
  01. Nov, 2011
  
  Brian,
  I’m clapping right now. Excellent point about teamwork’s scalability and importance to longevity. Individually we all need to strengthen our leadership so that the team and the organization thrive in these complex times. Otherwise to point out the opposite to your point above, mediocrity settles in preventing Great to happen.
  
  Shawn
  
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Anna Smith

02. Nov, 2011

The fear of being overlooked – that’s a great one and I’ve never really thought about it. Well done!

Reply to this comment
- Shawn Murphy
  
  03. Nov, 2011
  
  Anna,
  Yeah, I see it amongst executives who “fight” to one-up their peers in dysfunctional ways. It’s also something I see in new managers who are on probation for the first part of their new position.
  
  Shawn
  
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