Written by: Amber Ramsey
Image Source: Pexels
According to recent studies, only around eight percent of high-potential individuals succeed. The rest derail. This metaphor is that of a train coming off the tracks, and it involves an unexpected stall on a person's career path. It can happen when a leader plateaus in their current role due to significant weaknesses. If not corrected, these flaws can become fatal setbacks, eventually dragging a leader down completely.
Emotional Intelligence: Work on Interpersonal Skills
Acumen, intelligence, and imagination will take a leader far. Still, without emotional intelligence and a keen sense of making and keeping productive relationships, a good leader could lose out on a promising career. The ability to assess themselves and other people's feelings and work well with others separates entrepreneurs who succeed from those who don't. Usually, those who derail are seen as poor team players, unable or unwilling to involve their team or communicate plans before the team.
To stay on track, look to your strengths and balance whatever weaknesses you have with your team's reservoir of skills and experience. To work on your emotional intelligence, pay attention to your response to others and put yourself in their shoes. There are numerous methods to help you improve your emotional intelligence and boost your social skills.
Poor Commitment: Develop a Strategic Orientation
Strategic orientation implies that you 'have your head in the game,' which means that you understand the daily demands of a leadership role and your team's strategic setting. Those whose career is on track can envision more than the needs of their department and understand the big picture.
Suppose you, as a leader, have poor commitment. In that case, you might be struggling to navigate organizational ambiguity, dilemmas, and trade-offs, finding it extremely challenging to get things done. To keep your career on track, try modeling the approach of another respected leader with the ability to get things done. Remembering why you started in the first place can also help you regain your motivation, and taking breaks from time to time to reward your hard work will make you feel more energetic and ready to face the world.
ZenBusiness has a number of suggestions as well – and they include bolstering your team by involving them in the decision-making process as much as possible, not to mention taking the time to acknowledge and appreciate individual strengths and accomplishments.
Unteachable: Learn New Things
The best leaders understand that we never stop learning. All too often, many leaders become uncoachable as soon as they reach their position. But even though you may have extensive knowledge in your field, acquiring new information will keep you in the game, whether you choose to hold the same position in the future or pursue other opportunities.
For instance, an online accounting degree is an excellent place to start. Accounting knowledge will help you understand organizational nuances and develop your skills and insight. In addition, an accounting degree will also teach you marketing, business, economics, and finance — all of which are good to know if you're active in the business field.
Inability to Adapt: Roll With Changes
Because continuous change is unavoidable, companies need flexible, adaptable leaders who can embrace change. Those who resist change are typically unaware of trends in the broader market. Many leaders fear that making changes might lead to failure, but becoming more adaptable is vital to keeping a career on track.
Learn from, adjust to, and embrace change as essential for future success. You can do this by taking more controlled risks, making an effort to bounce back from failures, extracting lessons from hardships, and entering into unfamiliar situations or roles. Remain optimistic and resilient when faced with a change, and focus on learning how to transition through it better to keep your career at the top.
To keep a career on track, a leader needs a healthy dose of self-awareness and interpersonal skills. Having a strategic orientation when feeling unmotivated is also necessary, and so is adapting to changes. If you realize you have weaknesses in any of these areas, commit to your personal development by taking action.