In my precious moments of respite from tax season chaos this weekend (of which only two weeks remain, I’ll remind you – if you haven’t filed, get on that ASAP), I read an article that was a good reminder of why I started my business in the first place. It was about a nurse anesthetist who started making quilts for his son, and turned his hobby into a side hustle, bringing in 1.4 million a year.
You were once in this quilter’s place too: you caught a vision, you ran with it, and at some point… it grew. You brought in a team. You built systems. And now you’re not just doing the thing you love – you’re bringing others along for the journey.
Yes, there are times when running your Houston business is legitimately hard.
But when you stop and think about it, being a business owner is actually pretty incredible. You get to call the shots. You set the pace. You shape the culture. And you lean into your strengths to support what you’ve built – whether that’s sales, vision-casting, or quietly cranking out deliverables behind the scenes.
But that autonomy comes with a cost.
Because when you are the one at the helm, it’s also you who can become the bottleneck (and often, you’re the last one to realize it).
Without honest feedback loops, regular self-evaluation, or outside accountability (yes, even from your trusted accountant or business advisor – hi), it’s dangerously easy to slip into patterns that feel productive but are actually stalling your business’s growth.
We all know what bad leadership looks like … in other people. It’s easy to spot from the outside. But your own bad leadership habits? Not so much.
So, today’s writing is your gentle nudge – take a good look in the mirror. Assess where your leadership behaviors have been less than ideal, and ask yourself what needs to change. For your bottom line, yes. But also for the sake of those who have chosen to be a part of what started as your big idea or your sketch on a napkin.
3 Bad Leadership Qualities That Will Stall Your Sugar Land Business’s Growth
“Leadership is not a license to do less. Leadership is a responsibility to do more.” – Simon Sinek
You and I both have blind spots – little habits, behaviors, and patterns we don’t notice, but that affect everything around us.
And unfortunately, these blind spots in your leadership behaviors can majorly hurt your business (IF you choose to ignore them).
I know facing your weaknesses head-on is uncomfortable. But it’s a humbling process you should get used to. Because, ultimately, the forward progress you’ll see in your business is worth it.
So, as we look at these bad leadership qualities, honestly ask yourself: Am I (unintentionally) leading my business this way?
#1: The know-it-all attitude.
No one would claim that arrogance is an asset in any leadership context. But it can often sneak into your leadership disguised as confidence or decisiveness. If you’re resisting feedback, blaming others when things go wrong, ignoring advice and data when making decisions, or avoiding delegation…that’s the know-it-all in action.
The cost?
- Your employees stop speaking up.
- Your business gets stuck in old systems.
- You miss opportunities for streamlining operations and resolving issues that are hurting your bottom line.
- You’re less agile in responding to market shifts (making your business susceptible to revenue dips and big financial setbacks).
#2: Missing-in-action leadership.
MIA leaders are disengaged and avoidant. Have you acted like the MIA leader in any of these scenarios?
Scenario 1: A team member is consistently missing deadlines and causing friction with other team members. Instead of addressing this in a way that helps them grow, the MIA leader ignores the issue, hoping it’ll sort itself out.
Scenario 2: During team meetings, it’s obvious the MIA business owner is just there to check the box and move on with their day. They’re distracted and rushing to get the meeting over with.
Scenario 3: The team is working on a new project. The MIA business owner leaves them to make progress on their own, never checking in to see what resources they might need or what roadblocks they’re facing.
What’s the outcome for your team? Resentment. Frustration. Reciprocal disengagement. And when they aren’t receiving the support they need, movement toward your business goals stalls. Eventually, MIA leadership causes huge turnover rates (which is a huge financial and productivity setback).
#3: The goldfish mentality.
Popular belief holds that the average goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. Though it’s been proven to be a myth for the fish, it’s becoming close to fact for a lot of business owners.
Think you’re not a goldfish leader? Ask yourself if you…
…spend meetings answering emails.
…leave conversations midway to deal with other issues.
…let your focus time get interrupted by notifications and quick questions.
…often lose track of deadlines.
Those with the goldfish mentality don’t lead – they react. Because constant multitasking forces your brain to switch contexts too much for sound decision-making and strategizing. You’ll spend your energy putting out every fire instead of focusing on what matters long-term.
Think about what message this behavior is sending to your team. It sets a culture of busyness and distractedness, not a culture of effectiveness.
And the eventual outcome? Burnout, for you and your team (again resulting in high turnover rates and hindered growth).
Yes, self-assessment here is critical – but it can only take you so far. You really need outside input to fully understand your leadership blind spots. And to see positive change in your Sugar Land business, you need expert insight on how to overcome your bad leadership qualities. So, if you’re ready for the gentle-but-hard truth from a business advisor who is genuinely invested in your growth and success, let’s chat:
calendly.com/anna-tncpa/discovery
To becoming a stronger leader,
Tina Nguyen