The 10 Most Common Failures of Bad Leaders

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Harvard Business Publishing summarised the 360-degree feedback data on over 11,000 leaders from a study completed by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman. Here are the 10 most common leadership shortcomings. Interesting to note that the most successful and least successful differed most significantly in their energy and enthusiasm. How many of them apply to you or your leader?

1. Lack energy and enthusiasm
2. Accept their own mediocre performance
3. Lack clear vision and direction
4. Have poor judgement
5. Don’t collaborate
6. Don’t follow the standards they set for others
7. Resist new ideas
8. Don’t learn from mistakes
9. Lack interpersonal skills
10. Fail to develop others

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10 Comments

  • craig pontey
    Posted January 19, 2010 at 7:30 am 0Likes

    So true so true So very true

    thanks this is a good one to always remember

    Craig

  • Brett Clements
    Posted January 19, 2010 at 7:57 am 0Likes

    I’ll second that.

  • Robert Simeon
    Posted January 19, 2010 at 9:02 am 0Likes

    I started reading the points and for a fleeting moment I thought I was reading our NSW governments business model 🙂

  • Linda Clements
    Posted January 19, 2010 at 9:12 am 0Likes

    Thank you for this insight Leanne – it makes sense and always good to keep in mind.

  • Glenn
    Posted January 19, 2010 at 12:26 pm 0Likes

    Take note Kevin Rudd 🙂

  • Ricky
    Posted January 19, 2010 at 1:06 pm 0Likes

    Leanne,

    You should send that to the GM of HR at the REA Group. Useless.

    Couldn’t grow a pea in a paddock with a bucket of water and a tonne of manure!

  • Leanne Pilkington
    Posted January 19, 2010 at 1:10 pm 0Likes

    Thanks Ricky – I really needed a laugh this afternoon!! Will make sure I pass the message on next time I meet with them.

  • 360 Degree Feedback
    Posted January 20, 2010 at 2:06 am 0Likes

    Hi Leanne,

    If your readers want to know about some of the positive benefits of
    360 Degree Feedback, I would recommend visiting our website at Track Surveys and downloading some of the documents. We have a range of free guides about both providing and setting up 360 degree feedback within organisations as well as some fascinating podcasts about recent case studies.

    Steve

  • Nick
    Posted January 20, 2010 at 8:30 am 0Likes

    I find it depressing that you can apply that joke to so many places. :p

  • Peter D'Arcy
    Posted January 20, 2010 at 11:31 am 0Likes

    Hi Lisa – Wonderful wisdom that is ignored by most corporates in this country. You should send that list to all the CEO’s & Boards in Australia and ask them to survey their staff to see how they rated their leaders rates on these 10 points. I bet you they would rate in in the bottem end of the scale out of 10.

    This goes for all the sale trainers in nhe industry – too much focuss on process ^ technical training instead of Leadership.

    Thanks for a great list – A sure fire “Blue Print for Sucess”

    Peter D’Arcy
    Ashgrove – Brisbane

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