The Leadership Habit That Separates Good From Great
Good leaders and great leaders often make the same decisions. The difference shows up earlier, in a habit most people never notice: great leaders ask for the bad news first.
It sounds small. In practice it changes everything about what a team is willing to tell you. If problems only surface once they are unavoidable, you are always managing a crisis instead of a situation.
Leaders who build a reputation for wanting the truth, even when it is inconvenient, get information weeks earlier than leaders who only hear what is comfortable.
This habit is not about tolerating bad news. It is about actively hunting for it, before it becomes bad enough that someone finally has to bring it to you.
That means asking specific questions instead of open ones: what almost went wrong this week, not how is everything going. Specific questions get specific, useful answers.
It also means reacting well when someone brings you a problem. The first time you punish honesty with frustration, you teach your team to wait longer next time.
None of this is complicated. It is just consistently harder to do than it sounds, which is exactly why it separates good leadership from great leadership.
David Mayne
David works with leaders and founders on the habits that separate good leadership from great leadership.
Practical insights on business growth, mentoring, and leadership from the MayneStreet team.
www.mayneadvantage.com
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