The difference between good and bad leadership

Approximately two-thirds of all leadership problems are self-inflicted. The underlying issue? Aggressive authority leads to passive employees.

Aggressive leadership is more common than you might think. It can take the form of a strategy stretched across too many priorities, or a performance system that encourages competition rather than collaboration. In short: it’s well-meaning but self-destructive.

Good leaders take responsibility first and foremost. They set the standards and expectations of themselves before measuring anyone else’s. But there’s a reason why this is easier said than done.

Most leaders’ fatal flaw is that they demand less of themselves than others.

Leadership coach Dr. Peter Fuda once gave an eye-opening talk to senior figures from Fortune 500 companies. Every attendee identified themselves as a leader of integrity. But when asked if their colleagues shared the same level of integrity, only 30% said yes.

The number one problem with leadership is this: we judge ourselves by our intentions, but everyone else by their actions. In social psychology, this is known as illusory superiority. It’s the same reason why nearly everyone considers themselves to be an above-average driver.

It’s worth remembering that we’re all trying to do as well as we can with the knowledge that’s available to us.

As imperfect beings, we will inevitably fall short of expectations. But when we do, we need to have compassion and empathy – not just for ourselves, but for others too.

The foundation of sustainable leadership is to take responsibility for our own standards while simultaneously maintaining compassionate connections with others (and ourselves).

Practicing empathetic responsibility boosts awareness and empowers people to energize their colleagues while unlocking value within their organization. This is the goal for any good leader.