Between balancing busy schedules, overseeing employees and other management responsibilities, it can be easy for things to fall through the cracks. However, if leaders are aware of the common mistakes made by business heads, they might be able to avoid them.

5 common mistakes business leaders make

August 26, 2016 AppWright News

As a business leader, there are a number of things resting on your shoulders. Between balancing busy schedules, overseeing employees and other management responsibilities, it can be easy for things to fall through the cracks. However, if leaders are aware of the common mistakes made by business heads, they might be able to avoid them. 

1. Trying to do everything yourself 
When a person successfully gets their business running, it can be tempting to try to be involved with every aspect. However, as previously mentioned, business leaders are exceptionally busy people. Trying to have a hand in all the business' goings on can actually have a detrimental affect on quality. Instead of spending only a small amount of time in each sector, leaders should delegate tasks to capable people in each department who can dedicate the appropriate amount of time to projects and tasks.

2. Ignoring the "little things" 
What are the "little things?" They can be anything from small sales improvements to the development of new team members to the opening of another location. These small victories may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but they are important to address. By acknowledging achievements, leaders can boost employee morale and encourage continued hard work. 

3. Failing to communicate well with employees 
Communication is one of the most important aspects of good leadership. Businesses could begin to suffer if leaders do not communicate succinctly, efficiently and regularly with their employees. To do this, heads of operations may consider employing a business process management platform. BPM software, such as Appwright, will allow leaders to create threaded forums in which they can discuss projects and assignments. Additionally, it saves each message so that it can be referenced at a later time or used for an audit.

4. Distancing yourself 
While it is important to establish yourself as the figurehead, leaders will need to take caution not to distance themselves too far from employees. Putting up intangible barriers can make things difficult in your workplace. Not only will it limit your connections with your employees, it could also squelch creativity. If workers do not feel comfortable with their leaders, they will be less likely to approach them with innovative ideas. 

5. Playing it too safe 
While it is important to conduct business with caution and planning, leaders should avoid holding themselves back. Being afraid to take small risks or change procedure could actually prevent business growth and cause employee frustration. Moreover, it could cause your business to lose gifted employees to other, more creative companies. 

Being a leader in a business setting is a big responsibility. While everyone's leadership style is different, it is important for them to be knowledgeable enough to avoid making the common mistakes listed above. 

For more business leadership tips or to learn more about how a business process management platform has improved operations for other companies, click the image below.