Using ineffective leadership habits will absolutely derail you and your team’s success. 

This article will cover everyday leadership habits that I see and how detrimental they are to you and your team. If you have developed one or two of these ineffective habits, it’s time to start breaking them and finding new effective ways to step into your leadership role. 

Would you prefer to read rather than watch? Not to worry! You can read the blog post below.

Ineffective Leadership Habit #1 – Passive aggressiveness

Passive-aggressive managers are such a common occurrence. These managers, maybe not even knowing it, fall into passive-aggressive behaviour. 

An example of that would be if an employee is underperforming. Instead of strategically coming up with a plan of action to address the employee, you flat-out ignore them or blame your team for why you are ineffective as a manager. 

Not being accountable for your team and their performance is a terrible show of passive-aggressiveness in a leader. This can be a habit that you may not even realize you are doing, but as I have said before, leadership is simply personal development played out in public.

I can always tell if someone actively works on themselves by how they lead their teams and treat other people. 

Learning to be a more effective leader, learn to be competent so that you are not always blaming others, avoiding people, or being vague with people. 

Ineffective Leadership Habit #2 – Constantly seeking validation from your boss

This happens a lot with new managers. They so desperately want to prove that they deserve to be in a leadership role, and their boss was right to put them in one that they are constantly seeking validation and approval from their boss. 

This habit will burn you out. It is not sustainable or practical, and it’s not necessary; you were promoted because your manager saw the potential in you as a leader. 

Even though you have a lot to learn (we all do), you don’t need to seek constant outside validation from your boss. You were given that promotion for a reason. 

Look at the results you are having as a manager. Do you have a high-performing team? Are you wowing your customers? These are excellent indicators for you to look to for validation that you are killing it as a manager. 

Ineffective Leadership Habit #3 – Always agreeing with upper management

Having the habit of always agreeing with upper management instead of thinking critically and forming your own opinion is something I see a lot with new managers. Who may be intimidated by their boss who may hold the director or executive director title.

You are doing your company and yourself as a manager a disservice when you are being agreeable. You are now in a leadership role, and it’s your job to think, not just do what you are told. 

You have access to your team more than your boss or someone in upper management. You have information that they don’t, and if you receive a task or order that doesn’t make sense for your team, you need to speak up respectfully, of course. It’s your job to relay that information back so they can make wise decisions.

I’m not saying you have to challenge everything, but you need to think critically and speak up if something doesn’t make sense. 

Ineffective Leadership Habit #4 – Leading the way you want to be led

I hear this phrase that is commonly used among managers “Be the manager that you wish you had.” 

That inspirational and motivational phrase is also a misleading statement. You cannot lead people the way you want to be led, making being the manager you wish you had also not possible. 

People are different. 

If you happen to be a direct person, and you are going to be blunt with every one. No beating around the bush, so to speak. That’s great for others who are also direct, but it is not always an approach that is well received by everyone. 

As someone in a leadership position, you need to learn to adapt to how different people and the way they are best led. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to become a chameleon and change to address every person on your team differently. 

I am saying that you need to find a way to incorporate an effective leadership style, and it may not be the way you want to be led. Making this habit ineffective and not a great way to become an impactful leader. 

Ineffective Leadership Habit #5 – Living in the reactionary zone

Many managers that I have worked with within my accelerator program have told me that they live in the reactionary zone, and because of that, they are ineffective leaders, and their teams are turning out poor results. 

Leading your team from a reactionary state instead of a proactive state is a recipe for burnout for you and your team members. 

Learning to be more practical in your daily routines and become more intentional with your task management can go a long way in pulling yourself out of a reactive state. I have another article about learning to prioritize your time for you to check out. I also included a chart below for you to skim over to see the difference between being reactive and proactive.