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Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman in Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders (June 2009 HBR) discuss the following.

1. Lacking energy and enthusiasm. Successful leaders know that their energy and enthusiasm is contagious so they throw themselves into leadership.  If these are low for you identify why which maybe feeling burned out, lacking purpose, being overwhelmed or being physically unfit and take corrective actions.
2. Settling for mediocre performance.  Understand that your learning and development is a lifelong journey so try to be the best you can be because your team and staff depend on you.
3. Lacking clear vision.  As the leader you must know where you want to take your team and department because when you communicate it in a compelling way your people will become committed to making it a reality. Ineffective leaders believe their job is to just “steer the ship” but someone must be in charge.
4. Using poor judgment. Ineffective leaders make decisions that are not in the team or organization’s best interest. They might rush their decision making, or they make decisions that benefit themselves or other stakeholders but not the department. Before making decisions successful leaders seek opinions from others and are open to differing views and consider them carefully.
5. Being unwilling to collaborate. Successful leaders work well with others and value they opinions and input of team members.  They understand that bouncing ideas off colleagues and collaborating with others can result in better thought out plans, compared with decisions they make on their own.
6. Not “walking the talk”. The best leaders are those that lead by example and “walk the talk”. They are the first to demonstrate new behaviors and adapt to change. They show their staff what it’s like to work with honesty, integrity and commitment hence people want to follow them.
7. Resisting new ideas. Effective leaders understand that change is an inevitable part of growth and success so they are willing to embrace the unknown and try new things. Leaders who resist new ideas limit innovation, slow growth, lower morale, and cause the pharmacy to stagnate. These “naysayers” typically fear change, or are unwilling to put in the work that goes along with making improvements and being innovative.  Encourage staff to come up with new ideas and don’t instantly judge or dismiss them by taking a few minutes to look at the possibilities.
8. Not learning from mistakes. Most of us work hard to avoid making mistakes however they can teach us valuable lessons if we study each situation and understand where we went wrong as this willingness and curiosity helps us grow and become wiser.
9. Lacking interpersonal skills. Effective leaders are aware how their words and actions affect others and they work to control their emotions when they feel stressed or are upset. They always communicate honestly and open with others.
10. Failing to develop others. The best leaders understand that true success occurs when everyone works together. They are committed to getting the best from others and are willing to help other grow and develop.

Which of these do you or your leaders need to improve on?