Top 10 Fatal Flaws for CPA Leaders

If you think you’re immune, think again.

The Harvard Business Review has listed the top 10 fatal flaws that derail business leaders. While some may seem obvious, the study revealed something else about ineffective leaders that may surprise you: The worst leaders don’t even know it. In fact, those who exhibited the most negative behaviors often rated themselves very positively when surveyed. The findings parallel CPA Trendlines research which finds that too many accounting firms suffer from a lack of skilled leaders.

Here are the top 10, in descending order:

10. A lack of enthusiasm. Energy trickles down in corporate cultures and leaders who show a general lack of interest in pursuing new initiatives (or helping employees succeed) are a drain on productivity.

9. Acceptance of mediocre results. Complacency is the name of the game. They aim low so there’s no risk of failure (or real success).

8. A lack direction and vision. Leaders who don’t provide feedback or lack the foresight to develop new ways to help the organization evolve create a stagnant work environment.

7. Poor judgment. They make decisions based more on whims or personal feelings than hard numbers and facts. As a result, they lose the faith of their troops (and upper management).

6. Inability to collaborate. They lack the ability to compromise and they don’t respond well to constructive feedback from employees, subordinates or their superiors.

5. Failure to practice what they preach. Ineffective leaders follow “do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do” politics. In many cases they feel they’re exempt from the same rules as employees because of their position.

4. Resistant to change. They view progress as a threat. They don’t like learning new things and balk at the idea of taking on additional responsibilities, even if it means helping the company generate more revenue.

3. Failure to learn from mistakes. This means they’re doomed to repeat them.

2. A lack of communication skills. They criticize in public, praise in private (if they praise at all). They tell employees what to do rather than empowering them by asking good questions that help them uncover the answers for themselves.

1. Failure to develop others. They see anyone with potential as a threat. They’re much more concerned with having total control than increasing productivity by delegating responsibilities or developing top employees into reliable managers.

via BusinessBrief.com

How many of these fatal flaws do you see in your office?

In your boss? In yourself?

Tell us in COMMENTS.

Posted on September 29, 2010