Leaders aim to make their mark on business operations, imprint their philosophies on their staff, leave their legacy on the organization.  They hope the team will remember their leadership as unique, profitable, and pleasant.  Understandable goals.

But all too often, new leaders start out with similar clichés and concepts—lines that set their staff members up for disappointment, if not downright disengagement, rather than the intended productivity boost.

Do these new-leader clichés sound familiar?

Pop quiz here:

• Do you sometimes second-guess yourself about decisions until opportunities pass?
• Do colleagues and clients frequently seek your opinion on their big decisions?
• Do you often get feedback on the quality of your contributions in meetings?
• Do those meeting ideas produce the results you intend?

Like artists, wise leaders analyze and focus on a situation or problem. Then they decide and act. And even then, as theologian and author Oswald Chambers put it: “It’s never wise to be cocksure.”