Another common and costly leader mistake that can result in a loss of credibility and trust…
MISTAKE: Leading by email (or by texting, project management tools, online chat, or other technology) instead of Leading by Example.
Technology is a lovely thing. It makes your job and your life easier in hundreds of ways. However, it can also be used as a smokescreen to avoid difficult conversations, or to dispatch delicate communications bluntly. Leaders make this mistake when they provide feedback by email, delegate by email, and reset expectations by hitting the Send key … often with the team member sitting in the very next cubicle!
Leaders often find comfort in keeping difficult conversations at a digital distance.
But, effective leaders get in the mud with their people. They are visible and available by walking around each day, showing up at functions, being in the mix.
You can’t go first or model the behaviors you want to see in others from behind a high-tech computer monitor.