The transition from team member to leader can be challenging, as any new position comes with its own learning curve. It is crucial to notice red flags that could result in friction between leadership and employees.
“We need to understand ourselves—our needs, our wants, our boundaries, and our triggers—so that we can help others to do the same,” Natalie Pearce, cofounder of The Future Kind, says.
While charisma and confidence may catch others’ attention, some traits can reveal an inability to lead effectively. Recognizing these traits early can help you to inspire and support your teams, rather than hinder them.
“The best people-centric leaders I see understand that leadership isn’t about being the best at everything,” Chris Percival, founder and managing director, says, “but rather about drawing out the best ideas from others and empowering those better than them to undertake their respective functions.”
These executives weighed in on 10 critical red flags that signal a lack of leadership potential. From an inability to handle criticism to fostering a toxic environment, this list will help you spot the warning signs of poor leadership.
CREDIT HOGGING
In my experience of assessing leaders for a broad range of strategic and operational leadership roles, one red flag that stands out to me is when a leader seeks to take sole credit for the work of their team. Individuals with this personality trait are often suboptimal leaders of people and teams and, in fact, are usually the bottleneck for innovation and the cultural alignment of the colleagues they lead. The best people-centric leaders I see understand that leadership isn’t about being the best at everything but rather about drawing out the best ideas from others and empowering those better than them to undertake their respective functions. A red flag of this nature would typically be most evident during an interview when giving examples and evidence in response to probing questions of experience and successes, but it can also be identified as a potential consideration through occupational personality testing, which focuses on leadership style and team role. Additionally, in the employment context, this red flag could be established through feedback from colleagues, line managers, and other stakeholders.
AVOIDANT BEHAVIOR
If team members are displaying avoidant behaviors, it’s a signal that they may not feel psychologically safe with their leader. In hybrid and virtual environments, this can look like keeping their camera off in video meetings, not joining optional activities, staying silent during group conversations, and asking minimal questions when given an assignment.
To resolve this, managers should replace their instinct to supervise with habits of support. They can prove (or strengthen) their confidence in their teams by encouraging independent decision-making, preplanning workflows for new projects, asking meaningful questions, facilitating constructive group feedback, and providing generous recognition.
LIMITING BELIEFS
When people haven’t taken the time to work through their own limiting beliefs, scarcity mindset, and unresolved challenges, more often than not, they will project this onto their team. This can manifest into a leader being threatened by their team excelling in their role because it means “they’re after my job.” This can manifest in a leader’s inability to make strategic and long-term decisions, and they trade it in for decisions that deliver instant gratification, yet at the expense of their team. When someone continues to function from a lack of self-worth, it can cause friction and trust issues in the teams they lead. No level of technical expertise is worth creating a culture that is toxic. A person can only lead and stretch someone else’s growth based on how far they’ve been able to evolve themselves.
NOT RECOGNIZING COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES
Lack of awareness of their communication preferences can lead to issues within a team. With the introduction of technology and the widespread adoption of remote work, there are now many different ways for team members to communicate, and employees have developed different preferences for them. Team leaders who don’t recognize this diversity may push for their preferred methods of collaboration and communication without questioning whether they are right for the team.
They’ll inadvertently affect team dynamics and engagement. If a team leader is unaware that their preference is to collaborate with their team through real-time communication in meetings, and they insist that most communication takes place in this way, they’ll leave behind those people who need the slower, more focused rhythm of asynchronous communication. On the flip side, a team leader who is more comfortable expressing their ideas in writing and having asynchronous discussions might reduce the number of meetings to the point that individuals begin to feel disconnected.
The modern leadership challenge lies in balancing real-time collaboration and asynchronous work in a way that suits the team and the workflow—not the preference of its leader. While a general lack of self-awareness has always been a leadership red flag, the modern leader needs a new level of insight into communication styles. Using a mix of communication methods and adapting to the various needs within the team can significantly improve team dynamics and productivity in increasingly diverse, tech-driven work environments.
REJECTING FEEDBACK
If someone is unwilling to solicit and embrace constructive feedback, then that person is not ready to lead others. One of the most important jobs of a leader is to enable the team to deliver the best possible outcomes by creating a culture of trust and collaboration. Many people attribute the success of NASA’s first landing on the moon to a mission-first attitude—teams that feel safe to openly discuss issues, regardless of organizational politics or roles, are better able to identify and fix minor problems before they become major ones. It takes humility to admit that you don’t have all the answers but that dedication to outcomes over ego is essential to complex problem-solving. It’s incredibly difficult to innovate or lead successfully without it.
LACK OF SELF-AWARENESS
A major red flag for a potential manager or leader is a lack of self-awareness. If someone can’t recognize their own strengths and development areas, they’re going to struggle when it comes to supporting or guiding others. This is because self-awareness is key for empathy.
We need to understand ourselves—our needs, our wants, our boundaries, and our triggers—so that we can help others to do the same. Self-aware leaders are also more likely to seek feedback and own up to mistakes, which means they role-model vulnerability, thereby building trust with their teams. This means that they’re also able to continually improve their approach and are better at delegating where they might have weaknesses.
The good news is self-awareness can be taught, but it’s not a quick fix. Building self-awareness requires long-term practice, frequent reflection, and well-timed coaching interventions. Employers who wish to build up their pool of skilled, self-aware, prospective leaders would be wise to invest in regular training. This could include topics such as identifying strengths, giving and receiving feedback, personal goal-setting, and impactful communication, to name a few. With consistent effort and the right resources, we can all create workplaces where every leader truly understands themselves and their team—and that would make for a pretty brilliant culture.
KNOW-IT-ALL
Early in my career at the Brooklyn DA’s office, I heard from the head of homicide, a figure I deeply admired. This was my dream job, the type of case I aspired to prosecute. However, as I listened to this individual speak, I realized they were a “know-it-all.” They exuded an air of absolute authority, convinced they knew everything about everything.
At that moment, I understood this wasn’t true expertise but a facade. No one knows everything. This type of inflated ego, believing in one’s infallibility, doesn’t belong in leadership. It stifles growth, prevents collaboration, and ultimately hinders the leader’s and team’s success.
A “know-it-all” leader, blinded by their perceived omniscience, fails to recognize their limitations. This lack of self-awareness is detrimental to both the leader and their team. A leader who believes they possess all the answers stifles growth and innovation. They are unwilling to seek input from others, missing out on valuable perspectives and expertise.
Effective leadership requires a willingness to learn and adapt. A humble leader understands that they don’t have all the answers and surrounds themselves with a capable team. They foster an environment where diverse viewpoints are welcomed and collaboration is encouraged. This approach allows the team to leverage each member’s strengths, leading to greater success than any individual could achieve alone.
By recognizing and embracing their own limitations, leaders open the door to personal and collective growth. They create a culture of learning where everyone feels empowered to contribute their unique skills and knowledge.
FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OTHERS’ CONTRIBUTIONS
One often overlooked red flag signaling someone is unfit to lead is the persistent inability to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of others. Yes, working in a team means coming to solutions together. But at the same time, it’s important that you, as a leader, give credit where credit is due, encouraging your team members to keep coming forward with their own valuable contributions.
LACK OF RESPECT FOR ALL
We’ve all been in a restaurant and observed someone belittle a server over a minor mistake. This seemingly small act reveals a glaring red flag: they are unfit to lead. Such behavior shows a lack of patience for learning and growth—a fundamental leadership requirement—and highlights a serious deficiency in emotional intelligence. A leader who resorts to rudeness and belittlement lacks empathy and understanding. Leaders set the tone for company culture, and if they can’t show basic support, courtesy, and kindness, it undermines morale, productivity, and employee retention. Leaders who can’t respect everyone don’t deserve to lead anyone.
LACK OF LISTENING SKILLS
Leadership is about listening to your people. If someone vying for a leadership position is only interested in their own ideas, I think it’s safe to say they’re not ready to take charge. So much about being a good leader, I think, involves humility: Do you actively listen to your team? Do you actually let them talk instead of interrupting them? Do you take their ideas and feedback seriously? Do you hire people who are good at what they do and then trust them to do the job (ideally, better than you could)? There is no place for ego at the top—it’s lonely enough up there already.
Fast Company
