By Michael Holland –
It’s a feeling you get over time: Why am I not as successful as I can be, or think I can be in my role as a leader?
Here are 4 signs that you may be leading well at the WRONG company:
Bad DNA Match
Your leadership DNA isn’t a match for the organization’s leadership DNA. The culture demands a style of leadership that isn’t your strength. Maybe it’s a high-octane results oriented culture and you’re a collaborative, inclusive, contribution acknowledging oriented.
Bad Return on Energy
You’re working harder than you ever have leading your team to be productive by your standards but the organization continues to harp on the things your team is not getting completed.
While this may at first seem like an expectations gap, the reality is it’s a gap in where and how you invest your energy.
Leadership Maturity Mismatch
Your organization’s leaders are heavily focused on task management and maintaining an old school command and control culture. They are clueless – or don’t care about – how to leverage effective people leadership methods.
You are a skilled, dynamic, people leader with a wealth of leadership wisdom. You are coaching up your employees to be highly engaged and empowered to work on their own.
This leadership maturity gap may be more than you should deal with at this point in your career.
Size and Cadence Gap
You’re at a global company but lead as a small-town kid from Iowa. Or you’re an ambitious, can’t wait for more shiny balls of opportunity but are leading at a company whose idea of success is a steady, comfortable break even.
Your capability as a leader can only be fully realized when you are in an environment that enables you to fully leverage that capability over the long haul.
Organizations have their own personality and respective leadership DNA that works for that organization or is entrenched.
If there seems to be a mis-match, you need to determine if the mis-match is from one of the reasons above or that maybe you’re just not cut out for leadership. But don’t jump to the latter before fully analyzing the former.
Coaching Thoughts – For You and Your Peers
- How would you describe your organization’s leadership DNA? How well does it match up with yours?
- What does your organization expect of leaders from a leadership style perspective? Grab a peer leader and discuss your thoughts.
- Could a mis-match be just for a season? Why or why not?
