Many leaders struggle when it comes to developing their leadership behaviors due to a common problem called auto-pilot. This managerial model is one we would all like to avoid as we do not inspire those around us or achieve our best when we are sliding through the day without truly engaging our brain. There are many aspects to the autopilot model, including that of believing we can perform every act ourselves, according to The Lead Change Group.
When you have made the leap to a higher level in your career and begun to live your dream of reaching a management position. However, many of us will lose control when we are met with stressful situations. The arrival of stress and difficult moments in our lives leads us to a moment when we are met with a great choice of thinking straight or moving to a position where we have lost control.
Losing control can take many different forms, including the attitude of “I’ll do it myself.” This is the fallback position for many managers who give the impression they have lost all faith in their colleagues when they are struggling to meet the demands placed on themselves. Sabotaging your own leadership can include the issue of sabotaging oneself through not engaging with those in your surroundings. Initially, this can take the form of criticizing those around you and looking for a scapegoat when it comes to making decisions about your leadership role.
Self-sabotage is a common problem and comes in the form of indecision about your own role within the wider context of your business. While not actively seeking to blame a member of your team completely for any issue, you may find yourself turning the blame on yourself, Forbes reports.
Many leaders slide into autopilot mode when they are presented with a new task or are challenged about the way certain aspects of their business are completed. A leader who is struggling to handle any form of challenge to their authority will eventually find themselves resorting to sarcasm and intellectualization as they remove all obstacles to their authority. A leader who is struggling with autopilot will fail to work effectively with their colleagues but will usually fail to spot their behavior until they have calmed down and look back on their actions in the cold light of day.