One of the greatest traits of a successful leader is that he is inquisitive. A good leader always asks questions and tries to find most suitable solutions to his problems. He does not rest on his laurels but keep on exploring more growth opportunities. However, there are some leaders who stop being curious. These leaders just stop growing because they no longer ask questions. There are many reasons such as low self-esteem, insecurity, distractedness, arrogance, and most importantly contentment which no longer let a leader to be inquisitive.
Following lines thoroughly examine each of these reasons.
- Contentment:
Leaders expose themselves to the risk of becoming lethargic once they attain success or certain goals in their life. They relax their approach to grow mainly because they are content on their past achievements. The spirit and passion that previously catapulted them to success gradually dissipates.
As we naturally acclimatize to our surroundings, it becomes difficult for us to resist the temptation of becoming overly contented and dysfunctional. In case of leaders, they fail to recognize this as long as their organizations run profitably. However, it is the leader's duty to constantly question assumptions, solve problems and reconsider processes while his team is doing great in order to avoid greater loss in the long run.
- Low Self- Esteem:
Many leaders, especially the young ones, don't feel they deserve to get the attention of a seasoned coach or mentor. They don't normally consider themselves experienced enough, strong enough, competent enough, mature enough, qualified enough, confident enough or wise enough to spare some time for sitting in the company of an experienced coach. They hesitate to seek council or advice from veterans and expert leaders in their respective field due to their sense of unworthiness.
- Arrogance:
Leaders need to be authentic with people and humble with God if they want to have any chance of success. They can only grow and change if they admit their weaknesses and acknowledge their mistakes. You are very likely to go wrong if you insist on being always right. You will also cause your most talented employees to search for jobs somewhere else creating even more problems for yourself.
- Distractedness:
If you are a successful leader, you probably have a sweet spot, a special skill set or an uncanny ability to foresee the future which helped you to gain the status you now enjoy. However, you can also get distracted by overusing your abilities. It can make you shift your focus and you no longer leverage your strengths to the best of your potential. Subsequently, you start neglecting the more important areas of your business and start asking wrong questions which can ultimately lead you to the disaster.
Some Thoughts to Ponder:
These are some of the most noteworthy leadership traps which can curtail your curiosity. It is up to you to determine how you can avoid them. For instance, you can set high goals in your career so that you don't become contented. Similarly, there are many other things you can do to remain curious and maintain continuous growth for sustained period of time.
Source: http://blog.mile.org/big-leadership-development-pitfall-and-how-to-avoid-it/
