3 Leadership Tips You Can Probably Forget

We’re in the business of offering leadership and workplace advice, but even we can admit some advice runs its course. The times change, making that once sage advice obsolete. Or it just doesn’t fit the same situations it once did.

It’s safe to say that there is always a chance the advice will be relevant again, but for right now, here are three nuggets you can forget.

Don’t show a shred of weaknesses

For a long time, we’ve equated leadership with toughness, and the idea that leaders should never let on that they lack any knowledge or skills or that they are ever concerned about anything. Leaders were bred to believe that they shouldn’t ask for help. (Read three silly reasons why they don’t.)

However, when you act like you know something when you don’t, you usually just waste a bunch of time, limit your opportunities, and cause trouble. The best leaders understand their strengths, and especially their weaknesses, and they know that to be successful they need to admit when they don’t know something, when they don’t know what to do next, and when they’ve been wrong. Most important, they know to rely on the intelligence and talents of the people around them.

Don’t question your boss

You should always be respectful to your boss. Always. And we’re not suggesting you become confrontational or insulting, even when your supervisor’s idea or plan is truly bad. HOWEVER, when you have legitimate concerns, you absolutely should speak up. Tactfully point out issues that could prevent success, using evidence to prove your point.

Just make sure you are disagreeing with your boss because you have the best interest of the organization at heart, not because you want to embarrass him or her or show how smart you are. If you come at it from the right place, your boss is more likely to appreciate and value your feedback.

Check out this post to learn how to disagree, without being disagreeable.

Leave work at work

Technology has reshaped the workplace, for better or worse. While we highly encourage you to unplug daily and to not be “on” 24/7/365, sometimes taking a few minutes to respond to an email or take care of a small task from home can make the next work day even better.

The key is to set boundaries and not let work completely take over your personal time. Learn the truth about work-life balance. 

What other leadership or career advice do you think is no longer applicable in today’s workplace? Share your thoughts in the comments section.