How You Undermine Your Own Leadership


How You Undermine Your Own Leadership

Ever notice how things start falling apart when you're not clear with your team? As a leader, your words can motivate or create chaos—and I’ve experienced both.

I recently discussed this with a senior exec who believed it’s best to "selectively reveal portions of the truth."

Here’s why leaders might feel this way:

  • Panic: Worried about causing anxiety.
  • Weakness: Afraid of looking incompetent.
  • Confidentiality: Legitimate confidentiality concerns.

But poor communication can seriously undermine leadership by:

  • Eroding Trust: Creates uncertainty and mistrust.
  • Decreasing Morale: Leaves people feeling undervalued.
  • Fostering Confusion: Leads to misaligned priorities.

To balance communication, try these tips:

  1. Keep It Real: Be upfront about challenges.
  2. Stay Consistent: Align your messages with your goals.

Remember, you're not alone in this journey.

With Gratitude,

Uninformed teams will make up their own story."
Doland White

TAKE ACTION: Four Things You Can Do Today

Here are four actionable bullets for leaders to hone their communication skills:

  1. Really Listen: When your team talks, give them your full attention. Show that you get what they're saying by acknowledging their points. This builds trust and shows you care about their input.
  2. Ask for Feedback: Don’t be afraid to ask your team how you’re doing with communication. Take their feedback seriously and make changes if needed. Being open to feedback shows you're committed to improving and valuing their opinions.
  3. Keep It Simple: Cut out the jargon and keep your messages clear and to the point. When you make things easy to understand, it helps everyone stay on the same page and avoids confusion.
  4. Be Honest and Open: Share the good, the bad, and the ugly with your team. Being transparent builds trust and makes your team feel more secure and loyal. Plus, it encourages them to be open with you too.

You got this!

Want to know more on this topic? Here's a link to to my Empowerment Blog that's published on Medium.com


Lead With Confidence

Want to take your leadership skills to the next level? Download my book, "Lead With Confidence: 4 Bold Steps for Empowered Leadership," and discover how to:

  1. Build a rock-solid team that's driven and motivated.
  2. Foster a culture of trust and open communication.
  3. Create sustainable growth and long-term success.

Grab your copy now and start making big changes today!

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