I wanted to take a quick moment and address a few things necessary to be a leader. A leader is the most vital person of a group. They are the one that holds everything together even if they aren’t the best at everything individual task. They know how to bring people together and mold them into a cohesive team.

While playing Ultimate Frisbee the other day I saw the team leader of a local club team.  The way he led his other teammates was interesting to watch.  He gave them pointers but at the same time identified with them on a personal level.

Encountering this form of leadership on a very basic level got me thinking about my current work situation and the person who leads the company I work for. It seems that there is no cohesive glue, as a team, that makes us stick together besides the loathing of our boss. Our boss is a man who’s main focus is on generating revenue while trying to take advantage of the good will of his employees.  In many situations in his view making money will cancel out making his employees happy because money cures everything.

The seven deadly sins of a bad leader:

• Defocusing your team: Changing the direction the teams focus by leading them in several different directions once again hurts the team and cause a lot of frustration in the group
• Failing to integrate policies and guidelines:  As a team starts to grow there will be a need for more organization and guidelines.  If these guidelines are integrated properly they come off more as being frustration builders or are viewed as rules being forced on them.
• Putting your team first: A leader is the first to arrive and the last to leave (so to speak). Put your team first before yourself and even before the company in some cases.  Take care of them the best you can and in many cases they will take care of you.
• Becoming “One of the Guys”: Leaders that become just “one of the guys” often come off as superficial. Don’t think that the same team your trying to fit into doesn’t know that you write their paychecks. There has to be some level of separation and with it the respect of your team.
• Failure to Respect your team: If you don’t respect your team members for their strengths and what they bring to the company then they won’t respect you as a leader. If you are condescending towards a younger subordinate instead of supportive they will despise you later on.
• Failure to Communicate: Communicating effectively in a none condescending way is one of the most powerful things a leader can do.  By identifying with people on a personal level and respecting them open communication will be established.  Employees that are afraid to communicate with you hurts the growth and productivity of your company.
• Lack of Discipline:  If your going to expect everyone on your team to be respectful you have to be the first example of your guidelines.  If you want people in at 9:00 you better be in at 8:00.  Your workers look up to you; whether it is as a dictator or as a friend is up to you.