Avoid Leadership Mistakes and Unlock Team Success

Ever been in a situation where you thought you had it all under control, only to realize later that you were way out of your depth? That was me in 2020. I had been performing well as an individual contributor, and then I was handed a team of four freshers to lead. I thought, “How hard can this be?” Turns out, very hard—especially when you’re in the middle of a global pandemic, trying to hit your own sales targets while managing a team remotely.

Spoiler alert: I failed. My focus was on my individual sales, and I completely neglected the team. They didn’t get the guidance or support they needed, and eventually, they left. I felt like I had let everyone down. But you know what? That experience taught me one of the biggest lessons in leadership: it’s not about you. It’s about building the people around you.

By 2021, I got another shot, and this time, I did things differently. I didn’t just focus on my performance—I focused on creating a system where my team could thrive. Let me break down the leadership mistakes I made, so you don’t have to repeat them.

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1. Focusing Solely on Personal Performance

Back in 2020, my idea of leadership was still tied to my individual success. I thought if I kept crushing my own targets, the team’s success would naturally follow. Big mistake. My team struggled to meet their numbers, but I was too busy focusing on my own deals to notice. And when the pandemic hit, working from home made things worse. Without proper support, they couldn’t keep up, and the team fell apart.

When I got a new team in 2021, I realized I needed to flip my mindset. I started tracking our daily revenue instead of just my own, paying attention to the prospects my team was working on. I focused on closing high-priority deals myself and delegated the leads that needed more nurturing. Most importantly, I invested time in training my team. I sat in on their calls, taught them how to handle objections, and showed them how to move leads from “maybe” to “sold.”

And it worked. By July 2021, our team revenue jumped from ₹8 lakhs to ₹50 lakhs. By the end of 2023, we were averaging ₹1.5 to ₹2 crore a month, and today in 2025, the team has scaled to over 60 people with monthly revenue above ₹1.75 crore. That’s what happens when you stop treating leadership like an extension of your own performance and start treating it like a chance to build others up.

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2. Struggling to Delegate Tasks

I’ll admit, I’ve always been a bit of a control freak when it comes to processes. I was obsessed with how excel sheets were maintained, how sales data was validated, and how incentives were calculated. These processes were crucial, and I didn’t trust anyone else to handle them the way I did. My team was growing, but my fear of mistakes made me take on too much. I overworked, burned out, and still found myself struggling to maintain quality.

It took me some time to realize that I couldn’t do it all myself. If I wanted to scale my team and ensure everything ran smoothly, I had to trust others. I started by identifying people I could rely on—team leads and managers—and teaching them the processes. I didn’t just tell them what to do; I explained why optimization and tracking were so critical.

For example, I delegated the task of updating revenue sheets and validating data to my team leads. They would handle the manual work, and instead of redoing it all myself, I would check their updates for errors. This shift allowed me to focus on tracking the process rather than micromanaging every detail.

One key takeaway was understanding that processes like managing sheets, validating data, and calculating incentives aren’t just tasks—they’re the backbone of a motivated sales team. Incentives inspire employees to work harder, and a well-maintained system ensures transparency and trust. Once I let go of the need to control everything, the quality of our work improved, and I had more time to focus on strategic growth.

Delegation isn’t about giving up control; it’s about sharing responsibility so the whole team can succeed.

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3. Lack of Active Listening

In my early days as an individual contributor and later as a team lead, I often got myself into trouble because I was impatient. I’d find myself in verbal battles with customers or team members because I was so focused on proving my point that I didn’t value their input. It wasn’t until I made multiple mistakes that I realized the importance of listening.

One key moment stands out. I was arguing with a customer over their objections, trying to force them to see things my way. The conversation ended with the customer saying, “You don’t even listen.” That hit me hard. From that day on, I promised myself to give people the courtesy of being heard, even if I disagreed with them.

Listening doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything—it means understanding where the other person is coming from. If they’re wrong, you can still point it out politely and logically, helping them see the mistake without creating conflict. This shift in approach made a huge difference.

With customers, it earned me respect and trust. Instead of bickering or forcing payments, I focused on addressing their concerns and logically countering objections. With my team, it helped me build better relationships and created an environment where people felt comfortable sharing feedback without fear of judgment. By being patient and genuinely listening, I became a leader who people wanted to follow, not just someone they reported to.

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4. Failure to Develop Emotional Intelligence

In my early career, I let my emotions get the better of me more times than I’d like to admit. Whether it was reacting defensively to blame or lashing out when I felt misunderstood, my emotional responses often made things worse. One memorable incident involved a colleague who shared my emotional outburst with our manager, adding their own twist to the story. It was a wake-up call.

I also struggled with removing underperforming employees because I felt emotionally attached to them. This led to the team shouldering unnecessary weight and ultimately affected morale. I realized that my inability to separate emotions from decision-making was holding everyone back, including myself.

These experiences taught me a valuable lesson: emotional intelligence isn’t about suppressing your emotions—it’s about managing them. Now, I approach every interaction with the goal of controlling the narrative. Whether it’s with a customer, team member, or manager, I ensure they feel heard and valued, but I keep my cards close to my chest.

For example, instead of reacting defensively, I started pausing to evaluate the situation. Is the blame justified? If not, how can I redirect the conversation to highlight the facts without escalating emotions? This approach helped me maintain my composure, build trust, and ensure that I always had the upper hand in challenging situations. Emotional intelligence became my secret weapon in turning potential conflicts into opportunities for growth and collaboration.

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5. Being Task-Oriented Instead of Vision-Oriented

For the longest time, I thought success was all about completing tasks. I would divide my work into checklists—a during-call checklist to make sure I asked the right questions and an after-call checklist to ensure I covered all follow-ups. This system worked well for me as an individual contributor. It helped me stay consistent, have better conversations, and close more deals.

But when I became a manager, I assumed my team could replicate my approach and achieve the same results. I thought they’d naturally invest in their development the way I did. I quickly realized this wasn’t the case. My team needed more than instructions; they needed a reason to care about the tasks.

That’s when I learned the power of vision. Instead of focusing only on tasks, I started painting the bigger picture. I showed my team what we were working toward and how their daily efforts contributed to that goal. I emphasized the importance of doing the small things right, explaining how these seemingly minor details could lead to major successes. By aligning tasks with a shared vision, I transformed how my team approached their work.

This shift didn’t just improve performance—it created a sense of purpose. People worked harder because they understood why their work mattered, and they believed in what we were building together. That’s the difference between checking boxes and inspiring a team to achieve greatness.

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6. Avoiding Difficult Conversations

Difficult conversations have been a constant in my journey, and early on, I handled them poorly. As an introvert, it was never easy for me to confront issues or hold people accountable. I often avoided conflicts, thinking I was keeping the peace. However, I quickly realized that in a corporate setup, we are not friends or family—we’re a high-performing team, and performance comes first.

When I became a manager, I had to make tough decisions. For instance, when a team member landed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), I sent the necessary emails, but I didn’t sugarcoat reality. I did everything I could as a leader to help them improve, but when they didn’t meet expectations, I held them accountable. My job wasn’t to shield them from the consequences but to ensure they understood the standards they were expected to meet.

I stopped treating my team as friends and started treating them as colleagues. My decisions became strict but fair. I approached every situation with empathy, ensuring I fulfilled my responsibilities as a leader while keeping performance as the non-negotiable benchmark. If someone wasn’t performing despite being given all the tools and guidance, I let the consequences play out.

Understanding human psychology became critical in these conversations. I learned to stay composed, listen actively, and speak with clarity. The goal was never to belittle or antagonize but to communicate expectations clearly and maintain high standards. In a results-driven environment, difficult conversations aren’t just necessary—they’re essential for fostering accountability and driving growth.

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7. Neglecting to Build Relationships

Building relationships with colleagues is more than just working together—it’s about creating mutual trust and understanding. Early on, I learned the importance of knowing when to switch between being a leader and being a friend. My team knew that when we discussed work, there were clear expectations to meet. However, outside of those conversations, I ensured we connected on a personal level.

This balance helped me establish a support system within the team. It also built loyalty and trust, making my managers and team leads more invested in the overall success of our work. For example, if I couldn’t oversee day-to-day operations for any reason, I had people I trusted to step up and take responsibility without hesitation. This system allowed me to take a step back when needed, knowing that my team would maintain the same level of efficiency.

Fostering relationships doesn’t mean compromising on performance standards. It’s about ensuring that your team feels valued while understanding that expectations remain non-negotiable. This approach has not only strengthened my team’s bond but also created a culture of accountability and mutual respect, enabling us to perform consistently at a high level.

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8. Underestimating the Importance of Feedback

Feedback is one of the most undervalued tools for growth, often dismissed because of who it comes from or how it’s delivered. In India, where hiring processes can sometimes lead to underqualified individuals in key roles, it’s easy to discount feedback as irrelevant. However, the true value of feedback lies in analyzing it critically—understanding what’s logical, ethical, and actionable.

Feedback can come from various sources: customers sharing their experience with a sales representative, team leads providing input to their members, or senior leaders evaluating team performance. Regardless of the source, the key is to discern what aligns with your goals and use it to polish your skills and exceed expectations.

Early in my career, I often ignored feedback that didn’t resonate with me or seemed ill-informed. But over time, I realized that even poorly delivered feedback could contain nuggets of valuable insight. The key was to separate the signal from the noise. For instance, when a customer criticized my approach, I’d dig deeper to understand their perspective, which often highlighted areas where I could improve.

Acting on feedback effectively means building a process for reflection and action. After receiving feedback, I ask myself three questions: Is this actionable? Does it align with my goals? And how can implementing it create a measurable impact? By following this process, I’ve been able to identify blind spots, refine my strategies, and grow in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

In a leadership role, encouraging a culture of feedback within your team is equally important. I’ve always urged my team to share their thoughts openly, whether it’s about our processes, goals, or my leadership style. This two-way feedback loop fosters transparency and trust, making everyone feel valued.

9. Overlooking the Big Picture

As a leader, it’s essential to guide your team toward a shared vision, but in doing so, it’s easy to lose sight of your own bigger picture. Early in my leadership journey, I was so focused on aligning my team’s goals with the organization’s objectives that I neglected to think about what I wanted to achieve in my personal career.

Take me, for example. While I’m proud to serve as the AVP of Sales and Marketing at Intellipaat, my ambitions go beyond this role. I constantly strive to grow, learn, and explore new opportunities to solve problems and implement innovative ideas. This mindset has driven me to think about what’s next—whether it’s starting new ventures, expanding my expertise, or contributing in ways that go beyond the immediate scope of my current role.

This personal reflection helped me realize that both leaders and their teams need a clear sense of direction—not just professionally, but personally too. It’s important to ask yourself: What do you ultimately want to achieve? What does your bigger picture look like? By identifying this, you can create a roadmap that aligns your short-term actions with long-term aspirations.

For me, this means not only leading my team effectively but also staying updated with industry trends, learning new skills, and ensuring that every step I take contributes to my larger vision of growth and innovation. By keeping the bigger picture in focus—for yourself and your team—you create a framework for sustainable success that benefits everyone involved.

10. Not Investing in Self-Development

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is assuming that growth stops once they reach a certain position. Early in my career, I believed the same. I thought once you mastered your role, the hard part was over. But leadership is a journey that requires continuous learning, not a destination where you can afford to stagnate.

When I transitioned from being an individual contributor to a manager, I quickly realized that the skills that got me there weren’t enough to sustain my growth. For example, I was great at closing deals, but that didn’t automatically make me an effective leader. I needed to learn how to mentor, inspire, and manage people with different personalities and skill sets.

To bridge this gap, I committed to self-development. I attended workshops, read books on leadership, and sought mentorship from experienced leaders. One of the most impactful decisions I made was to actively seek feedback from my team and peers, even when it was uncomfortable. This helped me identify blind spots and fine-tune my approach.

Investing in self-development isn’t just about gaining technical skills—it’s about building the emotional resilience, strategic thinking, and adaptability required to lead in an ever-changing environment. By prioritizing growth, you not only become a better leader but also inspire your team to pursue their own development.

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Conclusion

Leadership is not just a role—it’s a responsibility. The transition from an individual contributor to a team leader is filled with challenges that test your patience, adaptability, and mindset. The mistakes I’ve highlighted in this article aren’t just hurdles; they’re lessons. They taught me that leadership is about empowering others, aligning goals, and constantly striving to improve yourself and your team.

Whether it’s shifting your focus from personal performance to team success, learning to delegate, or refining your emotional intelligence, the journey is as much about personal growth as it is about achieving organizational goals. At its core, leadership is about creating an environment where others can thrive while ensuring you’re evolving along the way.

My journey has been a series of trials, errors, and valuable lessons, and I’m still learning every day. The key takeaway? Growth is continuous, and the best leaders are those who embrace this reality. As you navigate your own leadership path, remember that every challenge is an opportunity to become better—for yourself, your team, and your vision of success.