Often we assume poor leaders and bad bosses are hopelessly stuck in their worst behaviors. Yet a recent post, Bad Leaders Can Change Their Spots, at HBR.org shares research that shows that, with clear developmental focus, the lowest-rated leaders can show significant improvement in key leadership dimensions. So much so that they are able to move from worst among their peers to above average within two years.
Not surprisingly, the study found that the “fatal flaws” of these lowest-rated leaders were primarily centered around working with others – developing others, collaboration and teamwork, inspiring and motivating others, and building relationships. Through 360° feedback, coaching, and a focus on improving their weakest areas (rather than building on their strengths), 75% of the “flawed” leaders saw strong improvement in those areas in subsequent 360° feedback.
Before you give up on your hopeless leader, give him or her a chance to show you their best leadership self.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
To take action on identifying and fixing your fatal flaws, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
Click here to receive The Thoughtful Leaders™ Blog posts via e-mail and receive a copy of “Ending Leadership Frenzy: 5 Steps to Becoming a More Thoughtful and Effective Leader.”
Photo Credit:Sergey Nivens/Bigstock.com
