10 major causes of failure in leadership

Dalima Goyal
8 min readJul 22, 2021

https://eshanagrawal.com/10-major-causes-of-failure-in-leadership/

#1 Inability To Organize Details

An efficient leader calls for the ability to organize and o master details. No genuine leader is ever “too busy” to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as a leader. When a man, whether he is a leader or follower, admits that he is “too busy” to change his plans or give attention to any emergency, he admits his inefficiency. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected to his position. That means, of course, that he must acquire the habit of relegating details to capable lieutenants.

People fail in leadership because they do not have details properly organized for their position. And if you don’t have details organized, it means you are inefficient. A successful leader must never be too busy to meet his followers. His door should be always open for his followers. He must give attention to his plans and goals. He should never be too busy to change his plans.

A successful leader always has details related to his/her position. Actually, the point here is to have mastery of the detail of your position, not everything as you are not there to do everything. The benefit of these is if someone meets you and asks something about your position and sector even it’s your follower, you can show them the whole detail related to his question. Mastery means this only to master your own detail. This thing makes a good impression in front of anyone you tell something. You can do this in only one way: to put some of your time and effort into preparing your detail as if anyone will ask you something you will not be bare-handed.

#2 Unwillingness To Render Humble Service

Truly great leaders are willing when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labor which they would ask another to perform. “The greatest among ye shall be the servant of all” is the truth that all able leaders observe and respect. You may have seen great and successful leaders performing works of labor. Actually, what happens it is we peoples upload pictures of rich lifestyle on social platforms but great leader upload photo of doing the labor work. But who gets more likes and followers. You know Narendra Modi. Have you ever seen any photos on social platforms with his car and bodyguards? You must have not seen it because he had never uploaded like that photo. He did not show his rich lifestyle on social media. But you may have seen Narendra Modi cleaning garbage near the ocean photo.

What did we observe?. We observe that they don’t show their rich lifestyle even they are rich. And we try to show our rich lifestyle even we are not rich. We explore places and upload them. But we do not upload our pics of cleaning garbage. You may have noticed it with not only Narendra Modi but also with your favorite leaders. A great and successful leader is a servant of all. They don’t be shy to do some service even that does not suit to his position. Why leadership fails is they just pass on the work, even it’s a small job. You are unwilling to render such humble service. If someone asks you to do something somewhere, you just pass on. But a successful leader knows this concept and they never fail in leadership.

#3 Expectation Of Pay For What They “Know” Instead Of What They Do With That Which They Know

The world does not pay men for that which they “know”. It pays them for what they DO or induces others to DO. This is the biggest mistake of new leaders. Their thought is the same as this. The thing they would get is

love, respect and

money for what they know. But would not pay you for what you know. Instead, it will pay you for what you do with which you know. The world also pays you for what they induce others to do. Never expect of pay for which you know. suppose you know many things about a field. You will not be paid until you will be working in the field which you know and become an expert in that. Or you start teaching or motivating others to that field as you know about that. You will induce others to do what you know.

#4 Fear Of Competition From Followers

The leader who fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. Only in this way may a leader multiply himself and prepare things at one time. It is an external truth that men receive more pay for their ABILITY TO GET OTHERS TO PERFORM than they could earn by their own efforts. An efficient leader may, through his knowledge of his job and the magnetism of his personality, greatly increase the efficiency of others, and induce them to render more service and better service than they could render without his aid.

A leader can not do everything by himself and he wants people and his followers. As said, it is an external truth that men receive more pay for their ability to get others to perform. And of course, your great leadership and knowledge will induce others to render more service than they possibly could. So as a leader you must have prepared yourself to train to whom he must delegate and at will andy any of the details of his position. You should be the master of details related to your position.

#5 Lack Of Imagination

Without imagination, the leader is incapable of meeting emergencies and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently. You may have listened to that to achieve the goals we have to imagine ourselves in that position. Like that only if you don’t imagine what will be the future and how your team will grow in the future. What growth plans are in your mind? In which project should you and your teamwork get the best results? What problems may come?

It is said that to achieve the goals we have to imagine it and come back to todays’ position while imagining. Through this, we can see the difficulties which may come in the middle and also how can we start and it gives a definite plan to us in which we should work on. The leader who does not imagine cant see the emergencies which may some. And they are not prepared for that. And altogether their leadership fails.

#6 Selfishness

The leader who claims all the honor for the work of his followers is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader CLAIMS NONE OF THE HONORS. He is contented to see the honors when there are any, go to his followers, because he knows that most men will work harder for commendation and recognition than they will work for money alone. Never take credit for others’ work. Whether you are using something from others’ work then also just what to do is give them credit.

Same with your followers. If you want to be a successful leader never be selfish. This is the main reason why people leave leaders. This is the main reason why a leader is left alone and his all team left him. Everyone leaves him because he is selfish. He never gives credit to his followers. You have to know that your team and followers work harder for compensation and recognization than they will work for money alone.

#7 Intemperance

Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms destroys the endurance and the vitality of all who indulge in it. Intemperance simply means a lack of patients and self-control. A leader who lacks self-control and is impatient will definitely receive failure very soon. You can think of it. You must have seen some great leaders. Notice a quality in them. YOu can notice that they are patient and can control themselves easily. They can control themselves in the hard situation too which we can not because we get angry and irritated very quickly. Intemperance destroys everything. It destroys the whole team. It destroys relationships between a leader and a follower. Imtem[perance also destroys the vitality of all who indulge in it.

#8 Disloyalty

Perhaps this should have come at the head of the list. The leader who is not loyal to his trust, and his associates, those above him and those below him, cannot long maintain his leadership. Disloyalty markets one as being less than the dust of the earth and brings down on one’s head the contempt he deserves. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life. If you are disloyal, then you will not only meet failure in leadership but in every one walks of life. To be a successful leader you should be loyal to everyone whether it’s your follower, team, or below you or above you. You should be loyal to everything and with everyone. If you are not loyal and you do not make a habit of it from now then today or tomorrow you will definitely meet failure.

#9 Emphasis Of The “Authority” Of Leadership

The efficient leader leads by encouraging and not by trying to instill fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his “authority” comes within the category of leadership through FORCE. If a leader is a REAL LEADER, he will not need to advertise that fact except by his conduct his sympathy, understanding, fairness, and a demonstration that he knows his job. You have to corporate with your followers and conduct sympathy, understanding, and fairness with your followers. You no need to advertise and emphasize your authoring of leadership.

Because if you lead by leadership by content and you do not incorporate with your followers and if you have the 11 qualities of a leader then your followers will definitely respect you and will advertise about you with their own mouth. You may have seen some people who say that” My leader or boss is very good, he understands and cooperate with us”. Never emphasize your authority of leadership. Just focus on your progress and your followers. Induce 11 qualities of a leader inside you and you will definitely receive respect and authority.

#10 Emphasis of Title

The competent leader requires no “title” to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter and his working quarters are free from formality or ostentation. You must never emphasize your title and authority of leadership. The door to the real leader is always open means that to meet you none of your followers need to wait. All who wish to meet you can easily meet

you during

your working hours among your followers. You no need to make your title more to emphasize because a leader who makes his title much emphasize has little else to emphasize.

Never show yourself “too busy”. And never show formality and ostentation. If you don’t understand this right now you will fail, as everyone will you, will have a bad impression of yourself in front of others. YOu should never be too busy and never show yourself too busy for your position.

Also read:-

10 Leadership Characteristics That Makes You A Good Leader

MCD Model Of Leadership

Top 11 qualities of a Leader

Leadership

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Dalima Goyal

Hi, I am Dalima Goyal. I am a freelance content writer.