Business Bites: Imperfect leaders
Imperfect leaders are self-aware
We expect a lot of leaders. They should be all things to everyone, make sense of highly complex issues, create a vision of the future, arouse enthusiasm from stakeholders, have the skills to turn strategy into real-life plans.
Unfortunately, no single person can possibly live up to those standards. When we aim for perfection, we’re driven by concerns about what others might think about us.
The truth is that we are all imperfect or incomplete as leaders, so why does that make us feel uncomfortable?
Why we need imperfect leaders
In her article, ‘The paradox of growth: why great companies need imperfect leaders’, Christine Carrillo gives us this comparison: “The ‘perfect leader’ operates out of fear.
“Obsessed with control, they push perfectionism into every corner of the company. This leads to micromanagement, fear of delegation, and avoiding healthy risks. Instead of thriving, their companies stagnate. They build inflexible and inefficient companies.
“Perfection creates anxiety, not confidence.
“Here’s what perfectionism can look like in leaders:
1. Avoiding delegation because mistakes feel personal.
2. Micromanaging instead of building effective systems.
3. Choosing safety above growth.
4. Becoming a bottleneck by failing to trust others.
“The imperfect leader embraces flaws. They recognise their strengths and lean on their team to fill in the gaps. By prioritising trust, experimentation and reflection, these leaders build companies that adapt, innovate, and grow.”
It may be difficult to break old habits, but it is important for you, your teams and your business that you do.
Some suggestions from Carrillo include:
Yourself
- Create space between who you are and your business outcomes
- Mistakes become lessons, not threats. Keep a record of how you overcame issues and what you learned
- Every day, list your wins to focus your mind on growth rather than perfection
Your team
- Delegate regularly. Each delegated task builds trust within your team
- Ask team members to send you updates highlighting their successes that week and anything blocking their progress. This prevents micromanagement throughout the week and again builds trust
Your business
- Perfect companies are rigid; great companies are resilient and adaptable. Perfectionism stops you from taking any risk, even the necessary ones. Categorise potential risks as low, medium, and high and consider them alongside the business’ appetite for risk
- Celebrate both success and failure to normalise innovation.
Imperfect leaders are self-aware. They recognise and accept that they are imperfect and will actively discover how they’re perceived by those they lead.
Because they are comfortable in their ‘imperfect leadership’, they acknowledge their strengths and their weaknesses, without worrying that they have to be good at everything and know everything. Due to this, they will develop and empower great teams of people around them who possess complimentary skills and strengths.
The Forbes article, ‘Becoming a consciously imperfect leader’, states: “Consciously imperfect leaders learn from own mistakes because they can recognise they have made them. They don’t confuse stubbornness and inability to learn with being strong and unbreakable“.
As stated earlier, mistakes become lessons, not threats. Leaders who know they’re imperfect are quick to admit their mistakes, and to put things right when they get something wrong. They don’t need to cover up their mistakes and pretend they haven’t happened. They’re able to tell it like it is and admit, ‘That didn’t work’ or ‘I’m sorry, I got that wrong’.
Finally, imperfect leaders are quick to reach out to ask for support from others. They will ask for input, ideas, and even encourage others to share opposing opinions or disagree with them. They will create a culture where the whole team thrives and succeeds.
What is needed? More authentic imperfect leaders who will consistently ask, ‘How can I improve?’, and are open enough to hear the answer and act on it.
The Q4Intelligence article, ‘Are you an imperfect leader?’, reminds us: “You cannot be all things to all people, especially in a world that’s constantly changing.
“Leadership is not about command and control anymore; it’s about collaboration and cultivating the actions of those in your organisation.
“It’s time to take the rose-tinted glasses off and recognise your weaknesses as an opportunity for personal and organisational development“.