Leadership Lessons:
How to Avoid the Traps That Derail Success
Have you ever stopped to notice how winning creates this beautiful, positive cycle in our lives?
It’s like a ripple effect. When we win, we gain confidence. And with that confidence, we take more action. And the more action we take, the more success we create—moving us closer to our goals and dreams. It’s a powerful thing, isn’t it?
But here’s the thing: the opposite is also true. Losing can create a negative cycle that’s hard to break. Losses can pile up, leaving us feeling insecure and stuck. They can make us doubt ourselves, second-guess our decisions, and even hesitate to reach out to our team, clients, or customers. It’s like a weight that holds us back from moving forward.
A few years ago, I came across this incredible list of 11 Leadership Traps from my mentor and leadership expert, John C. Maxwell. As I read through them, I couldn’t help but see how easy it is to fall into these traps—and how they can derail our confidence as leaders.
As you look over this list, I want you to ask yourself: Which of these traps am I falling into? Because here’s the truth: we’ve all been there. Even the greatest leaders have faced moments of doubt and failure.
Take Steve Jobs, for example. I was just updating my iPhone (again!) and it reminded me of his story. Jobs faced some pretty crushing challenges in his career. In 1985, after internal conflicts with the Apple board, he was ousted from the company he helped create. Can you imagine? But he didn’t let that define him.
In 1997, when Apple was struggling financially, they brought him back. And what did he do? He introduced groundbreaking products like the iMac, iPhone, and iPad—products that didn’t just change Apple but revolutionized the entire tech industry.
Steve Jobs broke through his own leadership traps. He turned crushing failures into breakthrough successes because he had a vision and the grit to push through what I call the “quitting points.”
So, what about you? Can you identify one or two leadership traps that might be holding you back? Maybe it’s fear of failure, or perhaps it’s the need for perfection. Whatever it is, I want you to know this: you have the power to break through.
Let’s believe together—with renewed focus and vision—that you can realize new successes.
So, let’s do it. Let’s take that first step today!
–Steve
As a master storyteller, Steve has unparalleled ability to communicate dynamic business and leadership truths through stories, anecdotes and humor. Harness the power of the “number one” predictor of professional success, impact, leadership, high performance and sustainable relationships in business and life. Steve’s highest rated keynote presentation.
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“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”
About the Author
Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a Seattle-based leadership development company. Steve is a dynamic, highly-sought-after speaker who has delivered more than 2,500 presentations to a list of clients including Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Pandora Radio, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Corporation, the Ritz Carlton group, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He recently was voted #1 by the readership of Huffington Post as the Most Inspirational Leader on Social Media.
A published author on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve resides near Seattle with his wife Julie where they enjoy time with their three adult children and six grandchildren.
