What causes a leader to fail?

The truth is, there are many things that cause failure at all levels of leadership. There is not a specific “formula” for leadership failure, just as there is not a specific “formula” for leadership success. There are however, actions or behaviors that drive a leader toward the path of success or failure.

It is almost impossible to open a business publication or business blog without seeing something about the generations at work. Often writers make it seem that all of your leadership and motivational problems will be solved once you understand and cater to the needs of "Millennials" or change your behavior and point of view and stop acting like a "Boomer".

A few years ago, one of my colleagues and I decided we wanted to explore the notion of generational conflict in the workplace. We conducted a study, using focus group methodology, to explore perceived differences between, specifically, Boomer and Gen X women in the workplace. The conversations, focusing on topics such as: jobs vs. careers,
 work life balance,
 sacrifices vs. choices,
role models,
personal fears and values,
and perceptions about the “other” group of women and the ease with which they can work together.

Several weeks ago, I was coaching with a client (let’s call him John) who was working to further develop his listening skills.  In the course of our conversation he said, “I want people to feel I am genuinely interested.” 

John went on to share a short, but impactful story with me.  John was attending the funeral of an elderly gentleman who was a long term friend of his family.  This man was known to be a very quiet man.  Because of this, John was a little surprised to see so many people at the funeral.  After the service, John was talking with some of the guests and mentioned that he was surprised so many people were in attendance…. Not because this man was not a great man, but rather, because this man was so quiet.  One of the guests responded to him with a statement that changed John’s perspective of this man forever.  The guest said, “There are so many people here to honor him because he was more interested than interesting.”

I was recently reflecting on a conversation I had with the owner of a growing florist business. Sales are good which is wonderful, however, things have become more difficult to manage because of the increased workload. The staff consists of very competent employees yet the owner still has difficulty letting go of some tasks. As a business owner, I understand how hard it is to delegate and rely on others when it comes to the seed you planted that is now blossoming. It’s easy to get “caught in the weeds.” The problem with not letting go is you not only create chaos for yourself, you send the wrong message to your team. When you are hesitant to delegate responsibilities, offer training and coaching, and empower them, you are in essence saying you don’t trust them.

This is the time of year most home owners are focusing on getting their yards looking good again.  Many of us are seeding, re-planting, trimming, raking, mowing… and mowing…. and mowing!  The poignant thing is, living things keep growing, the weeds continue to pop up and everything needs to be watered regularly as well as trimmed.  It takes maintenance and consistent effort to keep a yard looking good.