Assignment 1

#6 Lost Love: When a leader moves away from his first passion, he forgets the very reason he became a leader in the first place. If a leader starts to forget the issues that are so important to him that he decided that he had to be the one to do something about them, then he is no longer leading in the direction he intentionally set out to lead in. This can lead to a loss of followers and a loss of direction for the leader, causing him to fail.

#4 Ethics Slip: When a leader fails to uphold his own standard of ethics or the standards of his followers, he is in a very dangerous position. While the ultimate goals that a leader seeks to accomplish are very important, the means he uses to reach those goals may be even more important. The way a leader goes about reaching his goals reveals much about his character; when he shows a lack of integrity, followers will no longer want to participate in helping him accomplish his vision.

#1 Shift In Focus: When a leader's focus wanes, it is obvious that he has lost sight of the importance of making their vision a reality. A leader has to focus intensely on a broad, over-arching goal that he wants to see reached. Since the purpose of a leader is to provide a vision and lead his followers to that goal, if his focus shifts and he begins to be caught up in small problems and details, he can no longer be a very effective leader.

#3 Risk Aversion: An important part of being a leader is taking risks in hopes that they will pay off and help a leader move towards his goals. If a leader avoids taking risks, then he has much less chance of success. If a leader fails to try, then he can never succeed.

#2 Poor Communication: When a leader can no longer communicate his vision to his followers, then his followers become unsure of where he is leading them and even of why they are following. If a leader cannot convey his vision to his followers, then he cannot expect them to know what his vision is or to want to help him accomplish it. Without dynamic, purpose-led followers, a leader cannot accomplish his goals.

#5 Poor Self Management: When a leader "lets himself go", it is a sign to his followers and to other leaders that he is no longer fit to be a leader. After all, if a leader cannot take care of his own physical and emotional needs, how can he be expected to take care of the needs of others?