Why Leaders Fail

Nick HargreavesExpand search
21 Common Reasons Leaders Fail
Nick HargreavesClick here to view Nick Hargreaves’ profile
Nick Hargreaves
Published May 6, 2019
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Here are some alarming statistics on leadership:
According to the 2015 Brandon Hall State of Leadership Development report…
83% of organisations say it is crucial to develop leaders at all levels, and yet only 5% have fully
implemented development to address this need.
Only 15% of organisations say their leaders are “very effective” at meeting business goals.
71% of companies do not feel their leaders are able to lead their organisation into the future.
Further, a study by the Centre for Creative Leadership revealed that almost 40% of new chief executives
fail outright within their first 18 months on the job. Many more executives fail to live up to the
expectations of those who hired/promoted them and be as successful as predicted.
In most of these cases, the leaders usually demonstrated prior success as well as high intelligence,
appropriate initiative, and considerable savvy.
Why, then, do these leaders fail?

There are a variety of reasons for this, including external factors such as changing environments (such as
promotion, new hiring, merger, or restructuring) as well as an inappropriate and misguided leadership
training before the new role.
However, leadership failure can also be caused by internal factors, and often these can be fixed with
three simple factors: discipline, introspection, and proper execution.
We have to remember that success in leadership can be achieved by being the right person and doing
the right thing at the right time and the right place. This means that when leaders fail, there must be
something wrong with their insights, mindset, actions, or relationships.
In no particular order, let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons why leaders, both old and
new, are unable to perform efficiently and successfully:
#1: They chase the wrong goals.
It’s not wrong to desire sales, numbers and growth; it’s also not wrong to want to beat the competition.
However, the first thing leaders must chase before everything else is what the team wants to be as a
whole.
This includes the values, principles, and the culture that everyone in the team or company must
embody. Clearly defining such elements helps make sound decisions, such as how the products/services
are offered, how workers are hired and trained, and how customers are engaged and taken care of.
Leaders start to fail when they get too focused on the achievements and the numbers. Without the
culture and the values to direct them, leaders (along with the team) follow misguided and misconceived
goals which can quickly lead them to their downfall.
#2: They lose their focus.
Another common reason why leaders fail is that they lose sight of what’s truly important. They may
perform well at the beginning, having a laser-like focus and integrity that helped them climb up to
where they are now, but they become distracted by the pitfalls of leadership, such as wealth, authority,
or fame.
#3: They don't communicate well.
Leaders are responsible for continually communicating with the team they lead to ensure all members
are updated. There are tools such as Skype, instant messaging apps, and email that they can utilise to
get their message to them.
However, many leaders fail because they don’t have the initiative to reach out to their members.
Leaders who fail to communicate effectively (or those who fail to communicate at all) ultimately fail to
let their people know what to do next and where they should be heading.
#4: They assume.
From the previous point, leaders who fail to communicate also often assume that their team members
automatically know and understand their goals without being told. The worst part is this: managers and
bosses often see this as a lack of effort, initiative, or commitment on the team members’ parts, rather
than their own negligence and fault.
But remember this: team members can’t and won’t understand the leader when the leader himself or
herself can’t and won’t communicate the goals and objectives clearly.
#5: They fail to listen.
This is a trap that many leaders fall into. While it’s crucial for a leader to be strong and confident, a lot of
leaders have the wrong notion that they should act like they are always in control and that they have all
the ideas and solutions to problems.
As a leader, you will have to be smart and sharp-witted; but that does not mean you should put your
ideas above others’. Nor does it imply that you should do all the talking!
Grab every opportunity to listen—encourage your team to raise their suggestions and ideas. This is a
win-win situation for everyone: you grow and learn something new by listening to your team, and by
motivating your team to speak up, you empower them to become collaborators.
#6: They ignore the need to build relationships.
What a lot of leaders miss is that aside from improving the team’s performance and meeting targets and
goals, leadership is most importantly all about fostering relationships founded on trust within the group.
Leaders who ignore the value of building a good relationship with their team pay a high price, usually in
the form of uncoordinated members, an unattractive company culture, and an unfruitful collaboration.
To create useful and long-lasting relationships, leaders must learn to pay attention to their team
members and make use of excellent interpersonal skills to keep them engaged and motivated.
#7: They don’t accept the truth.

Leaders can only be effective when they know how to accept ugly truths and cold hard facts, despite
how hard they are to swallow. Leadership failure often happens when managers and bosses tweak and
make the data fit into their preconceived ideas.
Great leaders, on the other hand, decide their next move and come up with conclusions based on the
data they have.
#8: They have the wrong expectations.
New leaders often fail because they approach the new position with the wrong expectations and the
wrong mindset.
Being a team member is entirely different from being the leader of those team members. This is what a
lot of upcoming managers and bosses fail to recognise. They take the leadership position head-on
without really understanding how different things will be with their new responsibility of managing a
group. As a result, once in the position, they are unable to respond well to problems that may arise
within the team.
#9: They don’t hold themselves accountable.
Leaders who fall do not take responsibility for their failures, shortcomings, or wrong strategies. Instead,
they make excuses or point their fingers at another member. In worst cases, they play the blame game
instead of working on finding a solution.
Remember: the moment you take on that leadership position, you should give up your right to make
excuses. Instead, accept responsibility for your mistakes and negligence, and always get back on your
feet to address the issue.
#10: They don’t hold others accountable.
Sometimes, leaders fail not because of their plans and strategies for the company. It’s because of how
they manage their people.
Some managers and bosses bring in friends or star players who they refuse to or cannot hold
accountable. Some managers can’t hold anyone responsible at all. This happens because of several
reasons:
These managers want people to like them.
They are not accountable for their own behaviours or deadlines (see our previous

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Nick HargreavesExpand search

21 Common Reasons Leaders Fail

Nick HargreavesClick here to view Nick Hargreaves’ profile

Published May 6, 2019

Here are some alarming statistics on leadership:

According to the 2015 Brandon Hall State of Leadership Development report…

Why, then, do these leaders fail?

#1: They chase the wrong goals.

#3: They don't communicate well.

#4: They assume.

#6: They ignore the need to build relationships.

#7: They don’t accept the truth.

#8: They have the wrong expectations.

#9: They don’t hold themselves accountable.

These managers want people to like them.

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