Even More Leadership Red Flags

A few years ago, I wrote a post about 3 leadership red flags. Last year, I wrote about 3 more leadership red flags.

In this post, I’m going to discuss even more leadership red flags. You can read about leadership red flags 1–3 here and leadership red flags 4–6 here. If you hear a leader you know say one of these things, then you might want to take it as a sign that it’s time to find a new leader to follow.

Red Flag 7: “I don’t have time for you.”

This is a leader who isn’t present with their team. They may not say it with their words, but they say it with their actions. You may have experienced meeting with someone who spent the majority of the time responding to messages or broke away to take a call. Even though they were physically present, it felt like they weren’t really there. Being present is not just being in the same room with someone. Being present is about giving your time, attention, and interest to that person.

Red Flag 8: “Do I have to do everything myself?”

This is a leader who micromanages. Micromanagement happens when you keep power to yourself. Empowerment is when you give power to your team. As a leader, you can’t do everything. You need help. You need a team. If you want to have a team that wants to follow you, you need to give them autonomy.

Red Flag 9: “I will die on this hill.”

This is a leader who doesn’t know how to choose their battles. Choosing your battles is not about avoiding conflict. It’s about deciding which conflicts to engage in. When you engage in every small disagreement, you don’t have the time and energy to engage in more significant matters. This is why choosing your battles is important.

Think about it: What are some other leadership red flags that you’ve seen?