64 Things Every Leader Should Promise NOT To Do

Last week I shared an article called 64 Things Every Leader Should Promise.  That came from a project I was working on earlier this year in which I wanted to document all the promises that I believe a leader should make to the people he or she leads. Once I finished that list I realized it was not good enough. So I started another list that explained 64 things that I refused to do as a leader. While many of the items are similar to the promise list, many of these were just pet peeves that annoyed me. We all know the importance of “to do” lists and “will not do” lists, this is kind of like that.

So here is my “NOT GONNA DO IT” list, I hope you enjoy the list and it gives you a lot to think about:

1. I will not belittle or speak condescending to staff.
2. I will not curtail communication, thus leaving staff unclear about direction.
3. I will not disempower my staff so they cannot succeed on their own.
4. I will not overly analyze every decision and thus halt the execution process.
5. I will not restrain from admitting when I have made a mistake.
6. I will not forget to recognize staff for the achievements they have made.
7. I will not ignore my staff and retreat into an office.
8. I will not refuse to provide executive-level sponsorship for management initiatives.
9. I will not forget to give managers the proper authority to perform their jobs.
10. I will not sit idly by if staff does not have the resources or tools to complete their objectives.
11. I will not yell at anyone.
12. I will not be inconsiderate.
13. I will not forget common occasions that are important to people.
14. I will not use threats with staff to get them to perform their job.
15. I will not make my staff feel guilty, if they do not do something extra (stay late, work the weekend, etc…).
16. I will not use fear tactics to “motivate” staff.
17. I will not play favorites with staff.
18. I will not do things that are self-serving.
19. I will not find myself lacking the competence that is critical to the organizations success.
20. I will not lie to my staff.
21. I will not make an “example” of staff members in front of others.
22. I will not disregard the health and welfare of staff over the success of the company.
23. I will not keep necessary training from staff that will prevent them from having greater success.
24. I will not create an atmosphere where the staff does not have opportunities to progress and grow.
25. I will not be callous and moody.
26. I will not be unforgiving of staff mistakes, even after improvement and correction.
27. I will not avoid face to face communication, by always using email and other impersonal communication methods.
28. I will not practice analysis paralysis that inhibits progress from taking place.
29. I will not ignore needed changes.
30. I will not refuse to solicit feedback from staff.
31. I will not fail to plan for the success of the organization.
32. I will not fail to set a clear vision for the people and departments I have stewardships over.
33. I will not be a poor example of execution and accountability, yet expect those behaviors from others.
34. I will not interject myself into staff’s duties by doing things under their responsibility, without consulting with them.
35. I will not fail to provide organized structure within the departments and staff I lead.
36. I will have the confidence to take educated risks that could help the company reach its goals.
37. I will not be a poor example of time management.
38. I will not display deceitfulness or passive aggressive behavior.
39. I will not try to please everyone, all the time. It’s just impossible.
40. I will not fail to follow-up with staff.
41. I will not lack the courage to lead.
42. I will never encourage, practice, or listen to gossip.
43. I will never exercise unethical business practices.
44. I will not micromanage my staff.
45. I will not fail to set aside time to properly plan for success.
46. I will not fail to set aside time to reflect on problems, solutions, and progress being made.
47. I will not act in a way that makes others feel like I am unable to take criticism.
48. I will not fail to act and improve on received criticism or feedback.
49. I will not fail to teach my staff about leadership, teamwork, time management, positive conflict, and other things to make them good leaders.
50. I will not be egotistical or prideful.
51. I will not ignore signs (signs of organizational problems, moral problems, etc…).
52. I will not be disrespectful to staff.
53. I will not fail to lead from the heart and take emotions into account.
54. I will not diminish my ability to improve by not consistently learning and receiving coaching from others.
55. I will not conduct ineffective meetings.
56. I will not hoard my connections from staff that could help them have greater success with the proper introductions.
57. I will not promote an environment that accepts the status-quo.
58. I will not fail to promote an atmosphere of learning.
59. I will not fail to create an environment of fun.
60. I will not fail to support my staff and set them up for success.
61. I will not manage by command and control.
62. I will not emphasize anecdotal information over true data.
63. I will not expect staff to just, “Figure it out.”
64. I will not fail to manage and serve the most important aspect of an organization, the people!

Well there it is. What do you think? Is there anything that you would add? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.