13 Things Leaders Should Never Say..

1. That Customer Drives Me Crazy!

We all experience crazy deadlines in a high-pressure environment. Passing along our feelings of stress to our staff can cause them to feel less motivated working for a particular customer. Make sure they don't lose sight of the fact that every single customer is equally important.

2. I'm the Boss!

No one wants to work for an organization that doesn't respect their commitment level or humanity. If your co-workers wanted to take orders, they would have joined the army. Unless you are the military, avoid pulling rank. Every decision is a dialogue. Even if you do have the final say and aren't in full agreement (which is probable), don't make "I'm the boss" the ultimate reason for any decision.

I think that the Game of Thrones character, Tywin Lannister, said it best when he said, "Any man who must say, I am the king, is no true king." Likewise, anyone who has to say "I am the boss" is no true boss.

3. I'm Too Busy

This statement is abrupt and shows a lack of empathy to the needs of your staff. It also makes your employees feel that what they are doing is not that important. Instead of telling them you're too busy, try asking them to come back at a specific time when you do have availability. This gives them confidence that they have your ear, your respect, and your sincere care about the work they are doing.

4. What's Wrong With You?

It's easy to get frustrated when your staff does something incorrectly but this question goes right to the heart of their competencies. It not only assumes that they have a fundamental flaw but it conveys that you've lost all trust in their abilities. It will only tilt them downslope.

5. You're the Only One Having a Problem

This will only isolate your employees. It will break your staff down and make them feel alone. I believe that a majority of the time, if you were to google a question or problem, you will find many others have similar issues and concerns, and are truly seeking an answer.

6. I Don't Care About That

You need to care about every aspect of your business – small or large. If you let you staff know that you don't care about something, why should they? Treat every aspect of your business the same and your staff will have more pride in their work.

7. Don't Argue With Me

No boss should dissuade their staff from arguing or disagreeing with them. Sometimes you may be wrong, and it's important to get that insight from your staff. Hearing their thoughts and ideas is crucial to building a business.

8. We've Always Done it This Way

Just because something has always been done a certain way for months or years doesn't mean that it's the best way to approach a problem. Empower your staff to think of new solutions. Openness breeds creativity, which in turn breeds innovation. And startups need all the innovation they can get, regardless of whether it comes from the CEO or an intern.

9. Just Let Me Do It

You can’t grow your company by doing everything yourself. If you feel you have to step in every time things get hard, your staff will never learn to be self-sufficient. Give everyone a chance to succeed and encourage management to do the same. You will build a stronger company.

10. This is MY Company

That may very well be true on paper, but you won't be much of a leader if you don't have any willing "followers. You don’t have to rub it on people’s faces that you own a company. Your followers will be demoralized having you remind them of how their livelihood is dependent on your company.

11. It's Your Problem

Maintaining an attitude of shared responsibilities with your employees is important in order to create the best experience and generate the best work. If an employee knows you feel personally involved in all tasks, they view their own work as being a valued part of a larger effort.

12. This is Just a Small Customer / Sale

Teaching your staff to treat the high-paying customers or the big sales differently than smaller ones is a huge mistake. This sets up your company not only for bad customer service but also for arguments amongst your staff over who gets to work on which accounts.

13. I Don't Care What You Think

This sentence can end in many different ways. It could be "I don't care what you think," or "I don't care if that's what XX does." Regardless of how the sentence ends, "I don't care" is a phrase that shuts down conversations rather than encouraging dialogue. It suggests you aren't open to considering others or their ideas. Exercising your role of power unnecessarily leads to a negative workplace.