Top 10 mistakes new leaders make

I joined the Navy right out of high school. After bootcamp and training school, I worked as a solo reporter for two years at American Forces Network Tokyo. After that, I transferred to USS Kitty Hawk based in Yokosuka, Japan. At 21 years-old, I was in charge of six people and thousands of dollars worth of equipment. My title was Petty Officer in Charge of USS Kitty Hawk’s Video Division.

Before the ship, I had zero leadership experience. Sure, I’d worked as part of a team, but I had never led a team. I hadn’t been through any sort of leadership training, so I did what I felt was best. My only cue was to mimic good leaders I had seen. Boy, did I mess up! But, most of the time, things were fine. I did learn some valuable lessons that I wish I’d learned before getting the job.

Maybe you’re in the same boat (pun not intended): You’ve just been promoted. Now you’re in charge of people. How do you keep from screwing up? What are some of the potential pitfalls to avoid?

Taking and holding power.

You have a little bit of power now and you’re sure as heck not giving it back! Plus, it makes you look weak if you give any power to your subordinates, right? WRONG! Giving power to people under you is a great way to build trust. Trust is the backbone of any working relationship.

I liked to put my guys in charge of certain projects. I noticed they were more engaged when they had ownership over their work.

Not asking for feedback.

I assigned two of my workers different tasks. They were both unmotivated and the effort was lackluster. I asked them how they would to fix the situation. As it turned out, both wanted to do what the other was doing. I switched their tasks and they each did an amazing job! If I hadn’t asked for feedback I would never have known.

How do you know your plan is the best? How do people in workplace feel about you? Why don’t you ask!? Getting feedback from your team is the best way to know what’s happen. Not asking sets you up miscommunication and discontent.

Delegating without authorizing

I assigned a project to one of my guys that I wanted to watch carefully. I told him to come to me at each stage of the process to make sure he did it properly. Every five minutes he returned to my office: “Sorry to disturb again, what do you think about this?” It was frustrating! At one point I just said, “Figure it out!” I had delegated but not given enough authority.

When you delegate, make sure your employees has enough leeway to make decisions themselves. If they have to come to you at each stage, congratulations! You’re now a micromanager! (Hint: That’s a bad thing) Set clear guidelines for a task from the start. Trust your employees to make good decisions. Sure, they might make some mistakes, but they’ll also learn from them.

Reprimanding in front of everyone

I’ve heard this mantra my whole life: Praise in public, criticize in private. It’s demoralizing to call someone out in front of others. If your employee really messes up, take them aside, identify the issue together, and ask how they can fix it now or in the future. It’s easy to call someone out without even realizing it. A lot of teams work in close quarters and frustrations can come up. Remind yourself to stop, ask, “Is this going to be helpful to say?”, and pull someone aside if necessary.

Supervising everyone the same way

Everyone is different. Everyone wants different things. Maybe one employee responds well to praise and kudos. Another may prefer more responsibility. Find their motivating factor and and lead from there.

Keeping the interesting work for yourself

A lot of leaders start as top performers in their jobs. If you enjoy your job, it can be hard to leave the fun stuff for your team. I loved the reporter gig I had before coming to the Kitty Hawk. I loved being in the field and telling a story. As I advanced, I had to give up the fun stuff to the more inexperienced reporters. As it turned out, helping them find the same passion I had was extremely rewarding.

Siding with your superiors.

It’s important to remember that you’re still in charge. Sometimes you have to make a tough call that isn’t popular. Ultimately, your team will understand your position if you’re consistent and fair to them. Showing that you have trust in your boss will garner the same from him/her.

Distancing yourself from your employees.

The first day I reported to the ship, I was told to stand with the other NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers) at morning muster (meeting). We were separate from the rest of the division. This never sat right with me. I lived and breathed with my team every other hour of the day. I wanted to be close to them. I wanted to understand what made them click so we could be the best possible team. Other leaders preferred to keep their distance. As a result, their teams had trouble finishing tasks. Communication issues were rampant.

Promoting an “us vs. them” attitude

When our ship hosted dignitaries or receptions, our division came together to make sure everything got done. It’d be easy to say, “If it doesn’t involve a camera, it’s not my job,” but then the team as a whole would lose. It took our combined efforts to make sure everything went off without a hitch.

It’s easy to be proud of your people, and a little friendly competition never hurts, but it can go too far. Stick up for your people only when your team is still heading towards shared goals.

Engaging in unethical behavior

With great power comes great responsibility. Don’t let the position go to your head. Take ownership and don’t abuse your power.

Even if you follow all my advice, guess what? You’re still going to experience failure as a leader. That’s ok! As long as you learn from your mistakes, the experience will shape you as a leader.

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