The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People

The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back Overcoming the Behavior Patterns That Keep You From Getting Ahead

1. Never Feeling Good Enough

Never Feeling Good Enough • Lack of Self Confidence • A feeling of not being good enough for the role • Fear of being in a position you don’t think you deserve Remember Troops like leaders who are self assured

Seeing the World in BLACK and WHITE

Seeing the World in Black and White • Being an absolute meritocrat • Emotions, Loyalty, Politics, Sentimentality and Favoritism have no place at all • Not wanting to negotiate, compromise, lobby etc • There is only way to do things right and that is MY WAY. This is an ideal scenario but not a practical real life one

Doing Too Much, Pushing Too Hard

Doing Too Much, Pushing Too Hard • Being a hero • Taking on the impossible time and again and never feeling good enough • Such people often have grand visions and are charismatic leaders • Organisations love heroes (they are great for turnarounds) Heroes however burn out soon, and over a period of time become slave drivers resulting in people leaving

Avoiding Conflict at any cost

Avoiding Conflict at any cost • These are not people who try and solve a problem or bring about peace when a conflict has gone far enough • They are people who do whatever they can do avoid any conflict to begin with • They end up suppressing creative ideas and emotions A certain amount of conflict is healthy

Running Roughshod over the Opposition

Running Roughshod over the Opposition • Often view all transactions with a winlose perspective • Are bulldozers, often adverserial, hyperaggressive and poor listeners These people ending up hurting their career in the long run by making enemies

REBEL Looking for a Cause

REBEL with a Cause • • • Love breaking the rules Defy authority Are endlessly confrontational Take positions Are brutally honest and speak their mind Rebels often don’t end up solving any problems – They are not interested in spreading the truth but in gathering attention

Always Swinging for the FENCE

Always Swinging for the FENCE • Not running ones and twos, but wanting to hit only 4 s and 6 s • Small accomplishments don’t do. . • They seek extraordinary and immediate success Overnight Success usually takes about 20 years

When Fear is in the Driver’s Seat

When Fear is in the Driver’s Seat • • Pessimist Worriers Don’t like to change Scared of making mistakes Are indecisive – can’t take any risk Rather than Problem Solvers they become inhibitors

Emotionally Tone Deaf

Emotionally Tone Deaf • Mr. Spock in Star. Trek • Have a hard time recognising emotions like fear, anger, greed, jealousy etc in themselves and others • Are hyper rational, and see problems devoid of any emotional human component It is important to put yourself in the shoes of the other person to understand his perspective

When No Job is Good Enough

When No Job is Good Enough • Have a huge eye for achievement and limited tolerance for a delay in gratification • Have little tolerance for hard work and patience since they feel that they should be already on the top • Hop Jobs frequently • Are paralysed by fear of failure, they are the could have beens who don’t even try fence hitting I could have hit it all around the park if I wanted too --- its just that I did not pick up the bat !

Lacking a Sense of Boundaries

Lacking a Sense of Boundaries • Often mix up personal and professional life • Talk a lot, gossip, loose lips • Confide in suboordinates information they should not know to establish bonds • Crave affiliation and emotional intimacy Loose lips sink ships

Losing The Path

Losing The Path • Losing a sense of direction, feeling lost • A sense of powerlessness, lethargy, marginalisation. • A feeling that you are falling behind, or getting burned out, depressed etc • A feeling that your job is routine, you are not compensated well enough etc • Don’t let the symptoms become you – its just a temporary phase Finding a vision, feeling lost and finding our way back are life stages that we will traverse many times in our careers

How do you overcome these Bad Habits ? • These behavioral patterns are exhibited by everyone • The Key is to not be an extremist • Self Awareness – Observe yourself. Do you show signs of extremism on any of these behavior patterns. . Are you very different from the rest ? • Speak to a Mentor • READ – The above book – By James Waldroop and Timothy Butler -- Directors of MBA Career Development at Harvard Business School