MindRush15: Don't pass the buck, says Bill Hawkins

What are the challenges effective leaders run into? Bill Hawkins, leadership development expert and executive coach, shared his insights at Business Today's annual conclave Mindrush 2015.

It turns out that the I-can-succeed mindset of the successful has its downsides. Hawkins elaborated why.

1. Most successful people in the team resist change. They have a great belief in previous successes, and tend to be delusional and superstitious.  
2. Successful executives also tend to overrate their performance - at the same time, they may discount the opinion of people who don't match up to their worldviews.
3. Successful people are optimists - optimism is a key predictor of success. However, optimists tend to over-commit. Chances are, if you over commit, you may under deliver. Remember Infosys? Narayana Murthy's Infosys always under promised and over delivered.

FULL COVERAGE: MindRush2015

 

Hawkins went on to list a few annoying habits that can hold you back from reaching the top:

1. Winning too much - it is not always about being right, it is about being effective.
2. Adding too much value
3. Passing judgement on others
4. Starting conversations with "No", "But" or "However"
5. Telling the world how smart you are; excessive need to be "Me"
6. Speaking when angry; you don't listen when angry
7. Withholding information
8. Failing to give proper recognition
9. Passing the buck
10. Claiming credit that you don't deserve

A valuable to-avoid list for leaders. And, if you still don't know what to do, ask - peers, customers and other stakeholders.