5 Big Leadership Mistakes to Avoid for Long-Term Success

Leading others is one of those things in life that is both challenging and rewarding. Believe me, I experienced both challenges and rewards every day as a manager. The actions you take—or neglect to take—can have an enormous impact on the morale, efficiency, and success of your team. Surprising research shows that managers impact employees’ mental health more than doctors or therapists.

Strive as you might to be successful, it’s easy to fall into some very big traps that can make your leadership less than great. Here are five big leadership mistakes to avoid if you want to achieve long-term success.

1. Neglecting communication.

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is underestimating the importance of regular, straightforward communication with their team. Ambiguity breeds confusion, low morale, and ultimately, failed projects. Good communication is not only about sharing but about creating a culture where everyone can hear each other.

Regularly check in with your team, either individually or as a group. Facilitate the flow of dialogue by providing a comfortable environment in which employees can freely share their opinions and feedback. Use different means of communication depending on what members of your team like most. For example, some might prefer emails, while others like to meet in person or use collaboration tools.

2. Micromanaging your team. 

It’s natural for leaders to want everything to be perfect. However, when that need for perfection turns into micromanagement, that can kill your employees’ motivation and loyalty. When you take responsibility for every little thing and fail to let your people do their jobs without constant meddling on your part, you’re sending the message that you don’t trust them.

Practice delegation. Assign your people both the responsibility and the authority to do their work and then rely on them to do it. Offer support and training if necessary, but avoid the temptation to step in and do it yourself. This both empowers your staff and frees you up to make the strategic decisions only you can make.

3. Ignoring employee development. 

Failing to invest in the professional development of your team will have negative impacts on your people and your organization that will be long-lasting. If employees don’t have the skills they need to do their jobs, or if they don’t see a clear career path for themselves in your organization, they are likely to quit and move on.

Support growth by offering opportunities for training and development. Encourage your employees to participate in learning opportunities that are aligned with their work. Talk with them about career goals regularly and design specific growth plans that fit into the mission of the company. This investment in developing your people will build loyalty and boost overall performance.

4. Avoiding difficult conversations.

Leaders often find themselves challenged by bad behavior or conflicts within their team. Avoiding the difficult conversations required to address these issues can result in problems that remain unresolved, and which ultimately escalate and cause team dynamics to break down.

Embrace the uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid of tough conversations, but bring empathy and purpose with you. Prepare yourself for these talks by gathering information and listening closely. The trick is to think of the discussion as a process of coming together to resolve issues, not a battle. This approach not only clears things up faster but also improves relationships and establishes trust.

5. Focusing solely on short-term results.

While it is important to have positive short-term outcomes—every business needs them—prioritizing only the short-term puts the possibility of long-term success on the back burner. Leaders need to marry operational efficiency and business vision to achieve long-term success.

Step back and contemplate your vision in the long run while setting priorities in your day-to-day. Make sure to periodically assess short- and long-term goals and share these with your team. Challenge them to see beyond the task at hand and look at their contribution within a longer timeframe.

Learning how to avoid these leadership pitfalls is essential to creating a healthy and productive team culture. By focusing on communication, delegation, investing in growth, tackling obstacles head-on, and looking out to the long range, you’ll position yourself and your team for long-term success.