When I was first promoted to a leadership role, I had no idea what was in store for me. I thought my job was to give instructions and answer questions. Little did I know that there was a lot more required to be a successful leader. It took some time for me to understand what skills were important to be an exceptional leader. I believe many people have this experience; they are promoted to a leadership role without fully understanding the expectations of what it takes to be successful. Can you relate?

Whether you are currently in a leadership role, or you aspire to a leadership position one day, here are four signs that you should not be a leader:

You prefer to work alone. The very essence of leadership is about inspiring others to bring out their best and achieve goals. This requires consistent coaching, supporting and recognizing employees. Exceptional leaders don’t see these as duties they somehow have to fit in. They see them as a responsibility to foster the potential in each employee and the team. They realize that spending time with their people is a great investment toward mutual success. It’s OK to prefer to work alone, but that probably means you shouldn’t be a leader. Cultivating relationships is the foundation of inspiring people to make their best contribution.

You avoid confrontation. Most people don’t like confrontation, but leaders need to be willing to put those feelings aside and have the necessary difficult conversations. There is a universal truth in leadership: People will not always meet expectations and things will not always go as planned. As a leader, you will often need to approach uncomfortable situations with your employees, your peers, and even your boss. Exceptional leaders don’t avoid these conversations; they see them as a necessary responsibility for working through issues and moving things forward.

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