Harmful Leadership Practices to Avoid

As a leader, one of the most harmful things you can do is to not set goals and plan ahead. How do you expect to lead a team if you don't understand what needs to be achieved yourself and how it can be achieved. Your team looks to you as their guide, if you lack direction, so will your team.

The other thing is putting people down. There is a difference between constructive criticism and insults. Leaders who insult their team members do it because they are unable to accept the fact that they messed up themselves, so the blame goes on someone else. This will break a team as easily as a toothpick.

Besides that, leaders who can't make a decision can harm the whole project. Usually seen in first-time leaders, they rely on others to make a decision, thinking that other people know best. This is different from getting opinions from those who are qualified. When you can't make an educated decision based on the facts - it becomes risky to the whole operation.

Another very harmful thing a leader can do is to feel sorry for themselves. Any business is tough and there will be times when things don't go to plan. Feeling sorry yourself will get you and your team nowhere. Accept the setback and reevaluate what needs to be done or what can be done to make that situation right.

There are times especially during the beginning stages of leadership that you will find yourself in a similar position to these harmful practises. Know where you go wrong and make a conscious effort to better yourself.