Leadership Mistakes That Lower Team Morale

Are you a 👩💼 leader? Team gaining 🚜 traction in the market? This "best practice" 🔪kills your momentum. And companies keep 🎥 repeating it over and over again. You've just started to really book some 📆 meetings. AE 👩🏻🔧 pipelines are looking better. Deal 💨 momentum picks up and a a really nice one goes CLOSED/WON! Then, another rep wins a 🏦 big ol' deal. You can feel the excitement and energy. It's ⚡️electric⚡️. You want to 🔌 plug in the machine, and let it rip. A few HUGE 🎣 fish get hooked by SDRs/Marketing. Some 🔭 leader sees this. 🚨 WARNING 🚨 → The 😩 mistake is about to take place. Somebody 🗣️ says, "Hey! Jane and John just closed ABC and XYZ. Those were tough, big deals. They feel really strong right now. Let's give them those 🐳 whales that just came in. They did such a good job on the deals they won. They are more ❝enterprise.❞ The other reps aren't ready for deals like Jane and John are." It makes sense, right? If you are a young leader or you have really strong exec leadership, 🫸🏻 RESIST THIS! Why? Because... 🔪 You kill team morale. 😍 People start thinking there are favorites. 🤢 You poison the culture. 🏆 You limit the number of people that can win big. 👩🏻🏫 Fewer people learn how to win big deals. ⚖️ A couple reps get overloaded with big deals so can't work them as well. 🫠 You become overly reliant on too few people. 💔 Systems break (like round robin or SDR/AE alignment). Sending your "best" reps the "best" deals will cause you to 🍃 fall into the horrible 80/20 role of sales teams → 20% of reps do 80% of revenue. Will you lose some deals you might have won? 🤷🏻♂️ Who knows? I know one way you can 🥊 fight against that. 🚑 Support the reps that aren't quite ready like crazy. Our first ~$1M deal at Outreach was won by Pleasant Middelhof. She was 4 years out of teaching. We sold paper planners to school together before I hired her at Outreach. Was she ready? No! Did she win it? Yes! Why? Because she worked hard to prove herself. We supported her to the max. We went to meetings together. We did onsites together. We did decks together. We practiced calls together. We multi-threaded together. She worked her butt off. We worked out butts off. Guess what? She won the deal! Those buyers took us to like 2 other companies! I 🤔💭 wonder if a rep who was "ready" would have worked as hard or if we would have supported them as much. All that to make this point, if a rep loses a BIG deal bc "they weren't ready" maybe it's because the leaders and company weren't really "ready" either. P.S. Can we please stop using the word "Enterprise" so poorly. 500 employees is not enterprise. A $100k deal is not enterprise. A rep that works bigger deals isn't enterprise. Enterprise is a distinction that you know bc you've experienced it, not bc you set an employee limit.

The worst leadership move I ever made was promoting the best performer on the team. Fast. Sharp. Technically flawless. But they poisoned the room. No support. No teaching. No trust. Just ego. Just blame. Just fear. Every time something went sideways. They did not make people better. They made people quiet. I learned this the hard way. You can train someone to work faster. You cannot train someone to stop blaming everyone else. The best performer is not always the one who should lead. Sometimes they are the reason others stop trying. I have seen quieter, less skilled people lead with more impact. They listened. They helped. They kept the room steady when everyone else wanted to snap. A good employee carries the task. A real leader carries the people. If you are promoting based on performance alone, you are rewarding the wrong thing. And your team knows it. They just do not say it out loud. This is not just a kitchen problem. It happens in every workplace. #LeadershipMatters #WorkCulture #PromoteWisely #TeamDynamics #HardTruth

Three mistakes leaders make that kill morale: 1) Criticism without context Few things are more discouraging than a leader ripping apart someone’s performance without understanding their business. If you are too detached to know the details, you are too far removed to give detailed criticism. 2) Leaving people thinking, “I suck,” instead of, “Yeah, I can do better!” Leaders should not only be cheerleaders. Part of the job is to highlight gaps to drive improvement. But if you leave your team thinking, “Dang, I suck,” they’ll get crushed by teams thinking, “Yeah, I can do better!” 3) Driving accountability while never taking accountability Every leader makes mistakes. If you rarely (or never) say, “Sorry, I screwed up,” in front of your team, then you are failing at holding yourself accountable. And few things lose a team’s buy-in faster than seeing a leader who pushes accountability for everyone else while taking none themselves. Most leaders (myself included) have been guilty of all these. The key is identifying when you fall into these traps and moving forward as an improved leader.

Several years ago, I consulted with a mid-sized manufacturing company that was struggling with morale and productivity issues. Upon spending time there, the problems with leadership became quite apparent. The CEO's authoritarian and micromanaging style was the root of the issue: • He had his hands in every decision, no matter how small • Managers had little autonomy and were constantly second-guessed and overridden • The CEO was also very critical and rarely offered praise or positive reinforcement • IInteractions with him left employees feeling deflated and diminished There was very little transparency from leadership: • Major decisions were made behind closed doors without employee input • Communication was top-down with no avenue for feedback or dialogue As a result, the company culture had deteriorated significantly. Morale was extremely low. Employees felt unappreciated and powerless in their roles. There was no sense of empowerment or ownership. People worked in constant fear of being criticized or overridden by the CEO. Managers were reluctant to make decisions, always deferring to the CEO instead. Innovation and creative problem-solving were nonexistent. People were afraid to take risks. Unsurprisingly, the company had very high turnover. Talented employees left for better opportunities. Recruiting strong talent into key roles was nearly impossible with such a negative reputation. The company was stuck in a vicious cycle. Productivity and execution suffered greatly. With the CEO involved in every little thing, decision-making was bottlenecked. Initiatives moved forward at a glacial pace. Opportunities were missed. The company gradually lost market share to more nimble competitors. The CEO's highly controlling, critical, and non-transparent leadership style created a dysfunctional culture. It sapped morale, stifled innovation, and damaged productivity and competitiveness. The CEO's personal flaws permeated the entire organization. Unfortunately, the CEO was unwilling to evolve his leadership approach, even when confronted with these issues. This remains an example of the hugely damaging ripple effects that poor leadership at the top can have on an entire company. The human element is vital for organizational success. When leadership fails, everything else often crumbles with it. Join the 12,000+ leaders who get our weekly email newsletter. https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

My culture started to tank and I couldn't figure out why. Until someone on the team pulled me aside... And asked me a question that was like a slap to the face. It exposed a massive problem I had let linger for years. And honestly, a weak point in my leadership too. She said: "Why are you ignoring all of [Kevin]'s sh*tty behavior?" Kevin (fake name obviously) had been under performing... Not terribly bad, but clearly below the rest of the group. He also came late to meetings sometimes and didn't communicate well. He was just kinda dragging everyone down slowly. It was glaringly obvious to the team... Yet I was sitting on my hands. Why? The honest answer was... I didn’t feel like dealing with it. It felt like small potatoes compared to all the other business problems we were dealing with. But what a mistake that was. By ignoring the situation, these seemingly small issues turned into a really big deal. I could have easily nipped it in the butt, but I let it fester. And for good reason, the team started to question my leadership... And question the bar we had all set for ourselves. I had to act quickly to recover, so I did. I talked to Kevin individually, and then the team. I admitted my mistake to both of them. I could have done better by Kevin and coached him up. As for the team, we agreed to hold each other more accountable for keeping that bar super high (including me!) I tell this story because this type of situation is all too common in teams. Whether you shy away from conflict, or you just can’t be bothered (like in my case)… Ignoring poor performance and bad behavior is the surest way to tank your culture. So keep this story in mind the next time you spot something on your own team… And wonder, do I really have time for this? Yes, yes you do. 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️ Ps: If you liked this post, you’ll love my free newsletter (link in bio) on leadership & startups.

Experience is a great teacher, especially someone else's. 60% of managers fail in their first 18 months. Why? Not because they don't have the skills to lead.  Because their good intentions lead them down the wrong path. Avoid these 9 new manager mistakes I see all the time: Solving problems too quickly 🚩 People line up at your door instead of thinking for themselves • You become the bottleneck for all decisions • You create learned helplessness ✅ When someone brings a problem, ask "What do you recommend?" Thinking you were clear the first time 🚩 You give direction, but the team is still confused • You assume your context is their context • You speak in abstracts, not specifics ✅ Confirm: What matters is what they heard, not what you said. Hiring for skills over character 🚩 That "rockstar" hire who delivers but wrecks team morale. • They blame others when things go wrong • They hoard information to stay indispensable ✅ Probe: How they handled hard feedback in past roles. Focusing on motivation over momentum 🚩 Team excitement spikes then crashes. • You rely on pep talks instead of removing obstacles • Progress stalls waiting for perfect conditions ✅ Start meetings with "What's blocking progress?" Confusing hiring with recruiting 🚩 You settle for whoever's available when positions open. • You treat your network like a transaction • You compete on salary instead of culture ✅ Spend 30 minutes each Friday nurturing future hires. Confusing feedback with coaching 🚩 People nod during reviews, but nothing changes. • Conversations happen once a quarter, not "in-the-moment" • You tell them what's wrong, not how to improve ✅ Ask "What would success look like?" before giving advice. Thinking you're not in sales 🚩 Your best ideas die because you can't get team buy-in. • You believe it's a privilege to join your team • You change direction without warning ✅ Have "pre-sale" conversations before any big ask. Managing tasks instead of energy 🚩 Your best people burn out while low performers coast. • High performers get overloaded with urgent requests • You track completion, not emotional state ✅ Ruthlessly protect coordinated workblocks before noon. Not managing up proactively 🚩 You learn about your boss's concerns in public meetings. • You wait for them to ask instead of communicating proactively • You hide problems until they become crises ✅ Send Monday briefs: "Last week's wins. This week's focus." Remember: Smart leaders learn from their mistakes. Wise leaders learn from the mistakes of others. If you want more leadership insights: 🔔 Follow Dave Kline ♻️ Repost to help other leaders 📌 Subscribe to my free MGMT Playbook (in bio)

A bad leader can suck the passion out of a team. Unfortunately, it is far too common. Here are 25 “Passion Killers” I’ve observed leaders commit over my career… - Lack of clarity / vision / goals - Gossip / Backroom politics - Insecurity - Indecisiveness - Competing priorities - Stagnation - Cynicism - Victimization and self-pity - Lukewarm and halfway attempts - Procrastination and inaction - Too many questions and not enough action - Micro-management - Mistrust - Creating alienation and isolation - Guilt, shame and fear - Mediocrity - Not working within strengths - Trying to please others / Comparison - Clutter / disorganization - Quotas / unrealistic activity matrices - Pride / Egos - Poor communication - Lack of standards - Too much focus on process and not results - Lack of ownership / inability to take or transfer ownership There are likely many more. What would you add?

Exceptional leadership isn't about collecting new skills. It's about avoiding critical mistakes. Right now, there's a chance you are unknowingly... • Driving away your stars • Eroding team culture • Killing motivation 7 Commons Management Mistakes (and what to do instead): 1. Hiring Hastily 🚩 Don't: Compromise on character when desperate ✅ Do: Hire slowly for humble, hungry, and curious Tip: Design interviews to assess key behaviors 2. Ignoring Expectations 🚩 Don't: Assume high performers can read your mind ✅ Do: Co-create excellence with challenge and clarity Tip: Write down non-negotiables to review regularly 3. Deferring Development 🚩 Don't: Let top performers settle as "already great" ✅ Do: Challenge your best with stretch assignments Tip: Ask "What changed your thinking this week?" 4. Generic Communication 🚩 Don't: Approach every team member identically ✅ Do: Adjust your style to meet each where they are Tip: Study what works like a leadership marketer 5. Protecting Poor Performers 🚩 Don't: Let mediocrity hide behind "they're trying hard" ✅ Do: Hold everyone to your top performers' standard Tip: Make excellence non-negotiable - A-players are watching 6. Dodging Decisions 🚩 Don't: Use consensus to avoid taking a stand ✅ Do: Make the hard calls and own the consequences Tip: Set a deadline for every big call - and hit it 7. Avoiding Conflict 🚩 Don't: Let small issues compound into problems ✅ Do: Handle issues quickly, directly, completely Tip: Frame hard talks around mission and values A cheat code for leaders: Spot these mistakes before they cost you. ♻️ Share to help someone 🔔 Follow Marsden Kline more Join our free session on July 24 @ Noon ET "How AI Can Make You a More Persuasive Leader" https://lnkd.in/e37ph8ib