Warning signs are everywhere – on medication bottles, along the roadways, on plastic wrapping or cartons. We find them on electrical appliances, and on coffee cups from convenience stores and fast food joints. Warning signs are all around and if we ignore them, the consequences can be great. We may recover from some consequences; but other consequences can be permanent.

For example, if you ignore a stop light and go when it is not your turn, you may end up in a simple fender bender with car damage that can easily be repaired. Or you might end up with serious bodily injuries from which you never recover. Worse yet, life may be lost by ignoring the warning sign of the stop light.

The sad reality is that many of us ignore warning signs until it’s too late. This does not have to be the case.

So what are some warning signs for leaders, which, if ignored, signal trouble – or failure ahead?

A loss of passion for your leadership responsibilities. The things that once excited you about your role as a leader are beginning to feel like a burden. You awaken thinking about your responsibilities and dread showing up at the office – or wherever your responsibilities call for you to be. But this was not always the case. There was a time when the thought of getting to the office was all the caffeine you needed to start your morning.

Personal neglect. You once took good care of yourself, ensuring that you ate well (healthily), exercised regularly, got adequate rest, maintained healthy relationships with family and friends, and paid attention to your relationship with God. But now your desire for some or all of these things is waning. Your life appears to be spiraling out of control. You may be over-weight, always feeling tired, look unkempt, have difficulty with your relationships, and lack motivation for doing anything about it.

You are easily distracted from your role as a leader. In other words, anything is more exciting than your responsibilities as a leader. In the past, you would never have been sidetracked from your leadership responsibilities, but now your interest is drawn elsewhere – perhaps even by things in which you previously had no interest. These things are usually time-consuming but non-productive to your role as a leader.

Perhaps you’re spending more time simply hanging out at the coffee shop, or shopping, golfing, or fishing. These activities are no longer momentary diversions for enjoyment and relaxation, but are now means to escape your responsibilities.
Perhaps you’ve taken up computer gaming, claiming that it’s a form of relaxation when in truth it is a form of escape from your day-to-day reality.

Lack of accountability. You no longer feel or want to be accountable to anyone. You are the leader and everyone answers to you; therefore, you don’t think you are truly accountable to anyone. Yet you previously allowed yourself to be held accountable to a mentor, close friend, colleagues, or a small group. You were honest and open, allowing others to pour into your life. But lately you find yourself being a loner.

The lack of accountability as a leader is the surest path to failure. In our own heads we do nothing but deceive ourselves. We must be accountable to others if we want to avoid failure.

Did any danger signs flash in your head as you read? Perhaps not. Or perhaps you saw a yellow caution light or a small stop sign. Whether you saw a big, bold danger sign flashing red or a lessor caution, please heed the warning.

If you would like help in achieving your goals in any area of your life, call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.

 Photo credit: Thomas Hawk / Foter / CC BY-NC