Articles

How to deal with a poor leader

I’ve served with some remarkable leaders in several organizations – and I’ve served with some not-so-remarkable leaders. You can read about some of them here. And since I’m passionate about intentional growth, I’m easily frustrated by unproductive poor leadership and the resulting wasted potential within organizations.

To be totally transparent, I’ve made many mistakes in leadership. There were numerous times that my teams endured countless mistakes along my leadership journey. My teams have been more than patient, even gracious, as I have grown to lead more effectively.

So, whether you’ve been a member of one of my teams or you find yourself trapped in this unfortunate situation, here are 4 ways to deal with a poor leader:

Leaders are the most creative people on the planet

There are many good people mired in mediocrity and comfort. They spend much of life defending why they do what they do, selling what they’ve always sold, and protecting their organizations from being devoured by the forces of the new.

This post is part of the series – What Ever Happened to Personal Responsibility?
Would You Return to Your Organization?
If You’re Not Growing, You’re Dying…Really?
Leaders are the Most Creative People on the Planet
Great Leaders Serve
Is Fear Taking Over?

Let’s face it – maintaining the status quo has to be exhausting.

I love new ideas. I love growth. And because I love growth, I love the creativity and innovation that growth requires! Creatives continually challenge the status quo. And since vision is at the core of leadership, leaders must be the most creative people on the planet! Which quite simply makes mediocrity poor leadership.

Here are 3 things that I’ve learned from

creative leaders…

4 Things I Learned from Poor Leaders

You’re the one who is always looking for the next opportunity to lead. When someone is needed to step up and take the lead, you volunteer. You get jazzed about growth in challenging circumstances.

Casting impossible vision, developing new initiatives, and implementing innovative strategies feed your passion for achieving the unthinkable. Does that sound like you?

Well, that’s me! And, since I’m passionate about intentional growth, I’m easily frustrated by unproductive leadership and the resulting wasted potential within organizations. If you’re trapped in this unfortunate situation, check out Michael Hyatt’s 5 Ways to Cope with Bad Leaders.

I’ve served with some remarkable leaders in several organizations – and I’ve served with some not-so-remarkable leaders. To be honest, I’ve made many mistakes in leadership. My leaders and my teams have been more than patient, even gracious, as I have grown to lead more effectively.

So, what good can come from serving with a poor leader? Here are four things I’ve learned from poor leaders in my own leadership journey:

My Mess is my Message

Let’s face it – we’ve all ended up in a colossal mess at one time or another. Life is unpredictable and full of difficult circumstances and painful situations.

We don’t create messes on purpose – they just happen, right? OK, maybe there ARE times when painful experiences result from our own poor judgment.

Yep – occasionally the mess is our own fault. And, that’s OK – your mess makes you unique. It allows you to connect on a personal level with others in a way that success does not.

Here are a couple things I’ve learned from chaos…

3 Ways to Guarantee Your Success

My dad encouraged me to start my first company in 1985. He loaned me $300 and took me to purchase the equipment I needed to get launched. Within a few weeks I had paid off the loan and was operating my new venture in the black.

Over the next few years, my dad spent many hours modeling character, integrity, a strong work ethic, fairness, excellence, and organizational leadership. Needless to say, I am deeply grateful for my dad’s influence in my life and work.

I’d love to say that I caught on quick – but I was a maverick, hard charging – some called me driven. So, for more than 25 years I’ve learned by failing – over and over. I’ve made a lot of decisions that didn’t turn out the way I had planned – and I succeeded!

Wait…What?