2. “I’m not responsible for that, go blame someone else.”
The best leaders resist the tendency to deflect responsibility and cast blame elsewhere to protect themselves at all cost. They accept that they’re not perfect and that they make mistakes So, when they make mistakes…they will admit them. They will recognize that they are accountable to others below their line of sight, not just to those above them. When leaders model this type of authenticity, employees feel safe enough to take risks, make their own mistakes, and be open enough to say, “Hey, boss, I messed up.”
3. “I don’t need to get trained. I know everything there is to know.”
Few things are as infuriating as a leader who thinks they’re above it all, including their own need for being a better leader! Good bosses are willing to learn and gladly accept the role of a continued learner among their team members. Leaders know that they have much to learn and that each person has something important to teach them. Truth is, leaders don’t always know what is needed and what to do. They are willing to listen before making suggestions. They ask questions, and are sincerely interested in the answers.
4. “That’s why I hired you. Figure it out yourself.”
Yes, we hire smart and creative people to do complex and ingenious things. But when an employee comes to you for guidance, great leaders leverage the opportunity to coach them to success. According to one study, less than half of organizations surveyed had implemented coaching as a part of their performance management process. For the few that did, you guessed it — high-performing organizations.
5. “It is what it is.”
When you hear this empty phrase from a boss, you can bet he just dismissed something that is important or worthy of further discussion as the opposite. It’s a sign of lazy discourse. Good bosses are willing to engage others in deeper conversation to explore solutions, new ideas, or solve problems together. While this phrase may be something you say to your friends during a football game on the couch while eating popcorn, in a professional setting as a leader, it makes you sound like a total dingbat and exposes you as a lazy thinker.
6. “I can’t do this for you, so don’t even bother asking again.”
What employees are translating this to be in their brains is I won’t do this for you, whichis also the ultimate way of expressing “I don’t care about you.” As a leader, using I can’t do this for you conveys that you’re not pulling your own weight to get the job done to everyone’s benefit. It speaks to your unwillingness to do what it takes to empower the team and make them better.
