Leaders are held to a higher standard than front-line employees, and unfortunately, even some of the best managers and executives fall short from time to time.

However, there are a few mistakes that the best leaders just don’t ever make. These errors undermine your authority as a leader and make it difficult to do your job going forward.

If you have made these mistakes in the past, think about why you made them and how to avoid the behavior in the future.

Losing Your Cool

Seeing your leader lose their temper can be a very unsettling experience on a very basic level. We trust that our leaders will provide a safe environment for us to do what we have to do, and when we see our leader lose their cool, it undermines that sense of safety and security.

Losing your temper also makes you seem unpredictable to your workers. When employees start to wonder what is going to make you blow up, they start walking on eggshells and stop communicating as openly as they might – had you kept your cool.

Always Making Excuses

As a leader, you want your employees to take responsibility for their mistakes so they can learn from them and not make the same mistakes in the future. Creating this culture of personal accountability will be difficult if you don’t practice what you preach.

While you shouldn’t be pointing out every single one of your mistakes, you need to admit responsibility when it is glaringly obvious that you are at fault. Some leaders may think that admitting a mistake will undercut their authority, but if you have hired the right people, they will appreciate your candor … more than your stubbornness.

Not Keeping Your Finger on the Pulse

Nobody wants to work in a place where the only time you hear from management it when something has gone wrong or at the year-end party. Your employees are going to need direction, guidance and periodic confirmation that they are doing a good job. Keeping in touch with your employees help you to spot issues before they become big problems. It also helps build a sense of camaraderie among your entire team when you are fully engaged.

Not seeking advice

In addition to keeping in touch with their employees, good leaders also regularly seek guidance from those above them in their organization or thought leaders in their field. If you are working at a company that encourages collaboration and advice-seeking, you should definitely take advantage of the knowledge and experience around you.

Seeking advice from others not only benefits you, it also benefits your team. In fact, if you receive advice you think your employees can use, share it with them and let them know where it came from.

At Cornerstone, we can connect you with top talent you need to round out your team. Feel free to contact us today to discuss a custom staffing solution.