The Reflective Leader. Alan Smith

left with a weakened team.

      Good leaders are those who are sufficiently secure enough in who they are that they can be honest about their weaknesses. They are strong enough to know they have to build a team which compensates for their weaknesses.

      One of the most common weaknesses for a leader is the inability to change the way they work as their responsibilities grow. Early in their working life they may have been successful because they were hands-on. But if they continue to attend to the daily minutiae they will not undertake the essential planning and oversight for the long-term growth of the organization. They have to trust others to do the things that they used to enjoy doing. Instead, they have to keep focused on the big picture. They have to delegate tasks to colleagues and not interfere. This transition takes courage, self-knowledge and determination.

      Some leaders fail to adjust their working style to fit their age and experience. Few people in their fifties have the same amount of raw energy they had in their twenties. Conversely, if you have been learning and reflecting you should have a great deal more insight and wisdom in your fifties than when you were in your twenties. Some leaders confuse energy and wisdom. They try to keep working with the energy of a 20-year-old when what the organization requires from them are the insights from a lifetime of experience.