10 Ways to Fail as a Leader

This was a good article that I was given at work, I figured I would post it since it is a reminder to me on some of the elementary lessons to keep in mind when in a leadership position.

Top 10 Ways to FAIL as a Leader
Steve Macchia and Rick Anderson

Perhaps you've even personally served under a notoriously bad team
leader and secretly wondered whether or not you'd have what it takes to
sabotage a team of your own. Just follow these simple guidelines:

10) CONSERVE AFFIRMATION. You don't want your team members to become
arrogant. Use affirming remarks sparingly.

9) HAVE A CLOSED-DOOR POLICY. Openness to feedback is a slippery slope.
One day you're listening, the next day you're on the verge of a
teachable spirit.

8) MAKE SURE NOBODY APPEARS SMARTER THAN YOU ARE. Nobody has more
knowledge or experience than you do. That's why you're in charge, right?

7) FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE OF PARANOIA. Nothing puts a better positive
filter on incoming information than a renowned fear of your response to
bad news.

6) MAKE SURE ALL IDEAS ORIGINATE WITH YOU. Good ideas come from the top,
not the team. Shared credit is for couples with debt problems.

5) EXERCISE HIGH CONTROL. Remember, you're the team leader, and it's
your way or the highway.

4) LOOK OUT FOR #1. When in doubt, ask yourself, What's best for me and
my interests? Don't underestimate the value of manipulation.

3) DON'T TRUST ANYONE. If you refuse to trust them from the start, you
don't give them the opportunity to disappoint you.

2) ASK SOMEONE TO DO A SPECIFIC JOB, AND THEN DO IT YOURSELF.
Micromanagement is one of the surest ways to fail as a team leader. If
you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself.

1) FILL YOUR TEAM WITH PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU. Could there be a more ideal
team than one made up of multiple versions of you?