What decisions and paths should the real estate industry be prioritizing? And how can you, whether managing a team or an entire company, bring those best lessons to bear where you work? In February, in advance of building an industry blueprint at Inman Disconnect, we’ll plumb the topic of leadership with Q&As with top industry leaders, contributions from esteemed Inman columnists and more.
Pulse is a recurring column where we ask for readers’ takes on varying topics in a weekly survey and report back with our findings.
Fear and intimidation. Unreasonable expectations. Lack of communication and a team culture where morale is clearly bottom of the barrel.
Whether you’re new to the industry and shopping for your first brokerage or a veteran with years of experience under your belt, the ability to spot red flags in leadership is valuable, saving you time and frustration. Just as great leadership can be a game-changer for your professional development, bad leadership can make it difficult — or even impossible — to do your job.
Last week, we asked you: What red flags signal a bad leader? How can you tell someone’s bad for you (and your career) before you begin working with them? What should you do when those first red flags start fluttering in your sightline? How can you recover if you’ve been affected by the negativity of a bad leader?
Here’s what readers had to say:
- Withholding information from the team, which makes it impossible for the team to be fully informed decision-makers
- Lack of communication
- Talk more than listen, lacking in empathy, lacking in the ability to inspire others, lacking in the ability to problem solve or think proactively. Requires accountability from others
- Not owning up to mistakes
- Making it all about them
- Leaders who make a lot of excuses and blame others when things go wrong. Some employ gaslighting techniques and a little bullying to get the job done. The worst are probably the “managers” who call themselves “leadership.”
- Rude
- Not willing to take you on listing appointments to show you how it should be done.
What did we miss? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: These responses were given anonymously and, therefore, are not attributed to anyone specifically. Responses were also edited for grammar and clarity. Inman doesn’t endorse any specific method and regulations may vary from state to state.
