In the spirit of Halloween—and of having a little fun at work— our leadership experts reveal a few of the hauntingly bad habits that can plague leaders and their teams and the potent rituals that will exorcise these demons to unlock more effective ways of leading. At Vantage, we often say that “leaders cast long shadows”; are you ready to find out what might be hiding in the dark?

The Ghost of Problem Solver’s Past

On a chilly October evening, with the full moon casting eerie shadows across the office, Rachel, VP of Operations at a fast-growing tech company, sensed an unsettling presence. Strange whispers echoed in the hallway, and flickering fluorescent lights pulsed ominously. She felt haunted by the absence of strategic direction and the burden of operational tasks.

Though her rise to the executive ranks was fueled by her problem-solving skills and deep industry knowledge, Rachel now felt trapped in a cycle of constant firefighting. As the company expanded, her desire to be at the center of the action, handling the “issue of the day”, left her little time to elevate her perspective and chart a strategic course for the future.

The solution lay in mastering the dark art of delegation. At Vantage, we often utilize the concept of a “delegation-o-meter” with our coaching clients. The concept is simple—on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 3 (full confidence), rate each of your team members on how comfortable you are delegating to them.

After rating her team, Rachel discovered a series of 1s and 2s, revealing her lack of confidence in their abilities. Many were less experienced, while others lacked critical skills needed for their roles. In the current business climate, it was unrealistic to keep a team of leaders who weren’t excelling; she needed to restructure, upgrade talent, and set new performance expectations.

By re-evaluating the tasks she owned versus her direct reports, and structuring her team to take on the tasks she couldn’t, Rachel could banish the ghosts of her past leadership and free herself from the shackles of day-to-day problem solving, allowing her to focus on the strategic direction of her department.

The Curse of the Accidental Diminisher

Meet Carmilla, a high performing leader with decades of experience at a large hospitality group. Recently promoted, she was eager to sink her teeth into the new position and embrace the challenges ahead. Carmilla had always received praise for her supernatural ability to anticipate her leader’s needs and deliver impressive work with minimal oversight.

However, as she stepped into her new position, Carmilla realized she was unintentionally draining the life out of her team, making them completely dependent on her. She had become, according to Multipliers by Greg McKeown and Liz Wiseman, an “accidental diminisher”: a well-intentioned leader who subtly, and often unknowingly, stifles others and reduces their capabilities. Talk about a pain in the neck…

Though it was easier to maintain her current approach, Carmilla’s responsibilities had shifted. She now needed to maximize her team’s potential to enhance her own strategic effectiveness. At Vantage, we often support transitioning leaders in recognizing this opportunity. Through our assessment process, Carmilla gained insight into the strengths she overused that were hindering her performance in this expanded role.

Building awareness of these unintentional behaviors was crucial. With coaching, Carmilla worked to define how she wanted to lead differently, resisting the urge to rescue deliverables or move faster than her team. Instead, she began asking questions and engaging her team more, identifying experiments to test new behaviors.

Though it was frightening to step back from being the go-to performer, Carmilla connected with the value of empowering others, embracing this as a vital part of her evolving leadership identity.

Frankenstein’s Monster of Prioritization

Deep in a dimly lit laboratory, Frank, a Research and Development Director, is concocting his latest creation: a monstrous list of team priorities. This well-intentioned leader cobbles together a clumsy array of mandates, his maniacal laughter punctuated by mutters of “imperatives” and “stretch goals”.

The result is Frankenstein’s Monster of Shifting, Conflicting, and Unrealistic Priorities that makes even the strongest teams quake in their boots. Teams haunted by this monster are exhausted, with activity mistaken for productivity. As one victim told Vantage, “We were so busy, but where’s the real progress?” Never fear, we have the antidote:

  • Establish a unifying “why” for your team – why does this team exist? What purpose do we serve for the organization? Outlining this explicitly provides a touchstone for teams to come back to when work gets chaotic.
  • Outline deliverables – Create a memorable list of what, how, and when the team will deliver. Involve the team in crafting these commitments for added buy-in.
  • Focus on long term goals – make long-term goals a standing agenda item. Discuss time allocation for tasks, setting guidelines like “Don’t spend more than 10% of your time on this.”
  • Implement Change Management – When goals shift, hold a meeting to explain the changes and guide the team in rearranging their workloads for continuity.

Prioritizing ruthlessly means making sacrifices, but instating practices like these will keep you from creating your own Frankenstein’s Monster, helping your team become a more focused, well-oiled machine.

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As you set out to identify your own leadership habits, remember you’re not wandering alone in this journey. Many leaders have faced similar challenges and share the same ghost stories! At Vantage, we’ve seen firsthand how small yet impactful changes in mindset and behavior can transform leaders and their teams. We encourage you to explore our leadership development solutions and reach out to start the conversation.

By Eileen Linnabery Ph.D., Vantage Partner; Danielle Klene, Leadership Consultant; Jasmin Martinez, Ph.D., Leadership Consultant.