By | Nicolas Cole | www.theladders.com
Leadership is not, “Hey, you, go do this thing for me.”
When we think about leadership, we tend to think in terms of hierarchy — those at “the top” are considered “the leaders” and those at the bottom are considered “the followers.”
The problem with this sort of perspective is that, in all honesty, just because you hold a formal position on the ladder does not necessarily mean you are a “leader.” However, lots and lots of people wear their title and their badge of honor proudly — while at the same time ignoring the fact that they are, in fact, horrible leaders.
Don’t fall into the trap of doing any of the following, simply because you have a position of power — especially this first one:
1. You expect others to follow rules that you yourself do not follow
This is, bar none, the most common mistake in leadership.
You cannot, and should not expect others to follow rules, codes, processes, and all the rest if you cannot follow them yourself.
