Effective leadership is almost synonymous with being successful, driven and ambitious. Many successful companies today are headed by great leaders who possess positive attributes like assertiveness, adaptability, intelligence and conscientiousness, to name just a few.

However, as is the norm, it’s all too common for those in positions of authority to slip up a bit. This could be for any number of reasons including becoming too comfortable, over-confident or nonchalant. The negative results of such behaviour have far-reaching effects and should be addressed as soon as possible. If not, the possible damage of this digressive attitude stands to impact the leader and the company in ways greater than they might think possible.

With that in mind, here are 7 stereotypes leaders must avoid at all costs to become and remain effective leaders.

1. You’ve got to be hands-on all the time

While it is true that good leaders are hands-on and get stuff done with tangible results, effective leaders know how to find the balance between too much hands-on and just enough hands-on.

Being hands-on all the time can be a big problem because micromanaging becomes the focus instead of macromanaging. But that’s why you have a team. After all, no man is an island. As the commander-in-chief, you have the right to delegate work so you don’t have to be everywhere at the same time.

Practically, this means having people under you whom you can trust to oversee projects that don’t need your immediate input. Schedule time to sit down with these people and come up with proactive ways to ensure tasks are done in a timely and organized manner.

2. You have to be a man

Believe it or not, there is still a lot of sexism in the workplace. More so when the person in a position of authority is a woman. However, ladies, don’t let this stop you!

Judith Rosener wrote an article about the masculinisation of leadership and years later, people continue to attribute qualities like being rational, assertive and in complete control of one’s emotions as masculine. However, being a female leader doesn’t mean you have to strip yourself of your feminine qualities to “fit in” with the masculine stereotype of a leader.

Thankfully, women’s rights are gaining more and more momentum in the business world. Women are taking the reins of many big companies. Think of Arianna Huffington of Huff Post and Thrive Global, Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo and Ursula Burns of Xerox Corp, to name a few. You don’t have to be a man to be an effective leader.

3. You know all the right people

This can make you feel indispensable. Because you’re so used to people coming to you for the solutions, you could very well lose focus and end up becoming the problem. You could get so caught up in the adoration of your colleagues that you don’t easily admit that you don’t have the answer.

Remember, though, you can’t know everyone or everything. No one will lose respect for you for not knowing the answer to every question. If anything, your team will respect you more for readily admitting you don’t know the answer.

Try talking to other members of your team. Encourage others to network, even if it means introducing them to your network. Pass on contacts, don’t hog them. Be willing to learn and also look human at times. Nobody’s perfect.

4. Your past success means you don’t have to change anything

You have taken the company to great lengths. You’ve increased sales, generated new leads and changed the company’s CMS. While your past successes are something to rave about, you must realise that times are changing. As such, so should your tactics. Don’t be so quick to be on the defensive when someone critiques the old way of doing things. An old dog may not be able to learn new tricks, but it can definitely let others do so.

Being open to new ideas is an excellent quality to possess as a leader. The company is not about you after all. When good ideas from others are combined with your expertise, the result is sure to be epic. Everyone’s happy.

5. You’re selfish

What does this mean? Well, you could be more concerned about your own interests. This could translate into you pushing your own agenda. When you go for a networking conference, are you telling everyone what you have achieved or are you presenting your company and what it can achieve? If something goes wrong, are you willing to own up and take responsibility for your part in the downfall? Or are you ready to serve up the nearest scapegoat?

Really, then, selfishness can be displayed in so many ways, whether small or big. Be empathetic. When people come to you with concerns, be genuine about helping them. Don’t have a hidden agenda. Be selfless in how you interact with people, especially when it’s to your disadvantage. Kindness goes a long way in the workplace.

6. You believe delegation is a way of not getting your hands dirty

Being in charge means you have a responsibility towards your employees, the company as a whole and its clients and customers. Whether you like it or not, delegating should be done so you don’t spread yourself too thin.

It is not to be viewed as a way of running away from work you are meant to do. Leadership is about taking the reins, but also knowing when to pass them onto someone else. Always put yourself in others’ shoes. If your superior lumped his work on your shoulders just because he didn’t feel like doing his work, how would you feel?

Empathy will go a long way in facilitating a workload and schedule that fits and works for everyone involved. Also, delegating helps others in the company learn leadership qualities and your fine example in this regard will be beneficial in the long term.

7. You tend to lose focus because your way has always worked in the past

This can happen in several ways. You may not have the mental strength needed to take the company in a new direction because you’re mindset is stuck and unwilling to change. Also, you could be struggling to implement new changes simply because you don’t see how they fit in with the systems you have put in place.

Humility is needed in this regard. As mentioned before, times are changing. If you want to be on top of your game, your strategies need to be adapted to the world climate or you’ll be left behind.

Communication is key to any relationship, much more between you and your employees/co-workers. Making sure that communication lines are open between you and your subordinates is key to a healthy working environment. They need to listen to you as much as you need to listen to them.

Clearly, these 7 stereotypes can easily creep up if one is not careful. However, if you want to be an effective leader, you can turn these around and make them positive. Some may be new to you, others not so much. Whatever your level of leadership, always make sure to communicate, delegate and empathise. It’ll go a long way in you becoming and remaining an effective leader.