Nobody’s perfect. But don’t take our word for it. In her Hannah Montana ode to imperfection, Miley Cyrus showed incredible insight when she sang: “Everybody makes mistakes, Everybody has those days, Everybody knows what I’m talkin’ ’bout, Everybody gets that way.”

We hear you, Miley!

Alas, if you want to be a success in your career and land a top management role from [site_name] some mistakes really must be avoided at all costs.

So to help you get as close as possible to perfection here are the biggest pitfalls to look out for and how to avoid them.

 

Don’t do nothing

As Spiderman will tell you, with great power comes great responsibility. And as the person who’s in charge and ultimately held accountable, a great leader must never put off making decisions. While these need to be carefully considered, swift action almost always wins the day.

 

Learn to let go

Once decisions have been made, don’t make the common mistake of trying to micromanage things from here. Not only will this take up too much of your own precious time, it can also hinder or demotivate staff. Learn to delegate tasks and responsibilities.

 

Bush skills

Don’t beat about the bush, get stuck right in. A boss who skirts around workplace issues or is too timid to tell it like it really is, runs the danger of being perceived as weak and ineffective. You have business goals to meet so fully commit yourself to the mission in what you do and say.

 

Say what?

Equally as important as speaking your mind is the act of not speaking at all but listening instead. Many managers make premature assessments after only a few words rather than offering an opportunity for an employee to present the whole case. Concentrate on listening patiently. After all, you’ll have the final say anyway.

 

Don’t go solo

Asking for input and advice from your team after you’ve already made a big decision isn’t just illogical it’s entirely counter-productive. No-one is going to engage with you if they realise their opinions are usually already redundant. Enabling everyone from the new office intern to the MD of the company to make valued decisions about their work creates employee empowerment and helps both you and your company.

 

Don’t make the big mistake of missing out on your next role at [site_name]