Blogs / Dysfunctional Behaviors of Leaders: What, Why and How to Alter
Every leader of an organisation has the onerous responsibility for the organisation to achieve its goals. They do so by converting organisational strategies into micro-level initiatives, planning actions and implementing these plans. Success of leaders in fulfilling this responsibility depends critically on how they behave. Over decades, studies on leadership have shown that leader’s behaviors directly influence every measurable organizational outcome, including employee performance, engagement, retention, and overall business success.
We have coached leaders at various hierarchical levels, in various types of organisations and in almost functions/departments. Our coaching experience shows several dysfunctional behaviors exhibited by leaders. Though we have listed such behaviors individually, we have noted that behaviors are often inter-connected. Here is the alphabetical list of these dysfunctional behaviors of leaders:
- Awaiting directives from higher-ups
- Behaving inconsistently
- Being indecisive
- Blaming external factors or subordinates for failure
- Clinging to out-dated models, theories, processes, tools and technologies
- Creating and getting caught in complicated processes
- Creating unnecessary complexity
- Delegating poorly
- Discouraging dissent
- Failing to control financials
- Getting distracted by irrelevant matters
- Getting preoccupied with short-term/immediate and tactical issues
- Getting stuck in routine matters
- Giving up when facing setbacks
- Improper planning
- Indulging in micro-management
- Making decisions hastily
- Neglecting long-term strategic vision, succession planning, and innovation
- Not acquiring proper talent
- Not allowing one’s authority to be questioned
- Not attending to detail
- Not developing team members’ competencies
- Not ensuring team members perform as required
- Not getting team members’ commitment
- Not understanding the needs of external and internal stake-holders
- Overly focusing on satisfying only on one or two stake-holders’ needs
- Prioritizing own team’s metrics over overall organizational results
- Resisting change
- Resisting cross-functional collaboration
- Seeking more and more data
- Setting goals that are easily achievable
- Sticking to “what worked before or so far.”
What leads to these behaviors? The simple answer: Thoughts. These behaviors arise out of some thought that the leaders have. These dysfunctional thoughts include:
- Dogmas
- Voice of judgment
- Voice of doubt
- Voice of suspicion
- Voice of cynicism
- Voice of fear
- Clutter
- Non-fact thoughts
Therefore, altering the inappropriate behaviors to appropriate behaviors calls for altering the above thoughts.
During most of our coaching sessions, we have had to coach participants to identify the dysfunctional thoughts and alter them. Doors for appropriate behaviors open.
Dysfunctional Behaviors of Leaders: What, Why and How to Alter
Every leader of an organisation has the onerous responsibility for the organisation to achieve its goals. They do so by converting organisational strategies into micro-level initiatives, planning actions and implementing these plans. Success of leaders in fulfilling this responsibility depends critically on how they behave. Over decades, studies on leadership have shown that leader’s behaviors directly influence every measurable organizational outcome, including employee performance, engagement, retention, and overall business success.
We have coached leaders at various hierarchical levels, in various types of organisations and in almost functions/departments. Our coaching experience shows several dysfunctional behaviors exhibited by leaders. Though we have listed such behaviors individually, we have noted that behaviors are often inter-connected. Here is the alphabetical list of these dysfunctional behaviors of leaders:
- Awaiting directives from higher-ups
- Behaving inconsistently
- Being indecisive
- Blaming external factors or subordinates for failure
- Clinging to out-dated models, theories, processes, tools and technologies
- Creating and getting caught in complicated processes
- Creating unnecessary complexity
- Delegating poorly
- Discouraging dissent
- Failing to control financials
- Getting distracted by irrelevant matters
- Getting preoccupied with short-term/immediate and tactical issues
- Getting stuck in routine matters
- Giving up when facing setbacks
- Improper planning
- Indulging in micro-management
- Making decisions hastily
- Neglecting long-term strategic vision, succession planning, and innovation
- Not acquiring proper talent
- Not allowing one’s authority to be questioned
- Not attending to detail
- Not developing team members’ competencies
- Not ensuring team members perform as required
- Not getting team members’ commitment
- Not understanding the needs of external and internal stake-holders
- Overly focusing on satisfying only on one or two stake-holders’ needs
- Prioritizing own team’s metrics over overall organizational results
- Resisting change
- Resisting cross-functional collaboration
- Seeking more and more data
- Setting goals that are easily achievable
- Sticking to “what worked before or so far.”
What leads to these behaviors? The simple answer: Thoughts. These behaviors arise out of some thought that the leaders have. These dysfunctional thoughts include:
- Dogmas
- Voice of judgment
- Voice of doubt
- Voice of suspicion
- Voice of cynicism
- Voice of fear
- Clutter
- Non-fact thoughts
Therefore, altering the inappropriate behaviors to appropriate behaviors calls for altering the above thoughts.
During most of our coaching sessions, we have had to coach participants to identify the dysfunctional thoughts and alter them. Doors for appropriate behaviors open.