Which Leadership Values Limit Your Success?

Cathie Leimbach • October 15, 2020

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As a leader, I have been guilty of limiting the organization's or team's success by violating Stephen R Covey’s second habit, “begin with the end in mind”.


When I have a vague idea of what I want to achieve, my systematic brain starts listing the tasks and possible ways to get there. When it is clear that I have bitten off more than I can chew, I may delegate pieces and step-by-step processes to others. And the struggle begins. 


My team members are usually high capacity people. They can think on their own. They can often use their creativity and strengths to get the work done more effectively than I would have.


But, if I don’t accurately describe what I want them to achieve, there is confusion instead of clarity. If I challenge them to see which person can come up with the best plan to get the work done, I encourage internal competition instead of collaboration. And if I examine their progress several times a day and make little changes that don’t even improve the finished product, they will be groaning about micromanagement rather than feeling empowered to put their best foot forward.


I have also had experiences in leading healthy, high performance teams. In these situations, every team member enhances their competence, utilizing more and more of their potential. I have seen these outcomes when I encouraged clarity, collaboration, and empowerment.


By engaging the full team in discussions about our goals, everyone understands the desired results. Once there is clarity about where the team is headed, team members can collaborate on how to achieve the goals, considering several approaches, developing consensus on the best ones, and assigning roles that leverage each person’s strengths. Everyone now feels trusted to achieve the goals and empowered to make adjustments to the plan along the way. This leads to a healthier, happier, more successful workplace.


Yet, it is common for employees to experience confusion, internal competition, and micromanagement. Few managers regularly provide clarity, reward collaboration, or encourage empowerment. Most leaders have no training in leading people and they aren’t intentional about their leadership practices. Although employees generally wish to add meaningful value at work, their leaders often crush their spirit and initiative, preventing them from reaching their potential.


How can you improve your leadership style so you don’t hold your team members, your team, your organization, and yourself back?


Click here to learn about the "Breakthrough to Inspired Leadership" program which equips managers with the skills to lead people effectively. 

Be Kind to Your Team AND Hold Them Accountable

By Cathie Leimbach • November 3, 2026
Tammy was furious. For the third day in a row, the hydraulic hose assembly line was falling behind. How could they keep customers happy when production was this slow? The target was 50 hoses per hour, with at least 98% meeting quality standards. Yet, after two hours, Tom's team had produced only 65 hoses, and six had failed inspection. Tammy marched over to Tom, the line supervisor. “This is unacceptable! You know our targets. Get your people moving!” She stormed off, frustrated and worried about falling further behind. Tom felt embarrassed and discouraged. He told his team to work faster. An hour later, production was still behind, and more hoses had failed inspection. Leadership Tip – Correct Kindly, Solve Problems Together Corrective action doesn't need to be harsh. A calm, respectful conversation can improve both performance and trust. Clarify the gap. Remind the employee of the agreed expectation and describe what you've observed. “Tom, our target is 50 hoses per hour, with 98% meeting standards. Your team produced 65 in two hours, and six failed inspection.” Explore causes and solutions together. Ask, “What's getting in the way?” Listen carefully. Perhaps a crimping machine needs adjustment or a new employee needs coaching. Ask, “What could we do differently? How can I help?” Agree on next steps. Ask Tom to summarize what he'll do. State what you'll do to support him. Agree on when you'll review progress. Bottom Line Kindness doesn't mean lowering expectations. It means helping people meet them. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Be kind. Be clear. Hold people accountable. Have a conversation you’ve been putting off because you don’t want to sound harsh—or let the issue slide? Bring it to the Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to discuss addressing the problem with kindness, setting clear expectations, and agreeing on next steps. Reserve your spot for the November 16 Workplace Conversations Clinic → HERE

Everyone Noticed. No One Said Anything.

By Cathie Leimbach • October 27, 2026
“The same production line’s data is late again,” someone said. “Are we just supposed to keep begging for it?” Maya looked up. Two employees had stopped their own work to help track down the data missing from the weekly report to headquarters. She knew there had been delays. She hadn’t paid attention to how often or what happened when the data came in late. Each Friday, John sent the report out, and Maya moved on. Her team hadn’t moved on. They were tired of disrupting their own work to address the same problem week after week. The Symptom Late work. Repeated mistakes. People asking why they should bother when others don’t do their part. When there is a pattern of leaders letting missed deadlines slide, employees notice. Silence can leave people thinking that missed commitments are acceptable, even when that isn’t what the leader intends. Monitoring performance gives leaders a clearer picture of what is happening—and something specific to discuss with those involved. The Tip Here are three steps to noticing problems and sharing your performance concerns. Track the data. Look at information tied to the work, such as deadlines and errors. Maya could track how often data for the weekly reports arrived late. Walk around. Spend time where the work happens. Notice what people are doing and how one person’s work affects another’s. Maya saw two employees put their work aside to finish someone else’s task. Share what you find. Bring the facts and your observations to the attention of the person involved. Maya could say: “Your weekly production data was submitted late three of the last four weeks. Today, I saw Lee and Sam stop their work to get the raw data and do the analysis.” That makes it clear to the employee that submitting data late is not acceptable. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ Is there a pattern at your workplace that you’ve noticed but haven’t addressed? Join our Workplace Conversations Clinic on November 16 to discuss addressing performance concerns. Bring a situation you’ve been letting slide. Reserve your place HERE