We can use whatever words we want to use, however, in some circumstances those words might create negative results that diminish the credibility of the leader. Choice of words is power, and choice of words is integrity, especially for the entrepreneur and thought leader who must establish a position of influence to support a niche.

Here is my list of behaviors that bring down leaders in any type of organization:

In summary, we as leaders cannot point fingers for failure anywhere other than at ourselves. Certainly, we have others who challenge us and economic trends that cause us to rethink strategies, but our response either elevates us as leaders or makes those situations worse. Continuing to work on personal capacity building, and knowledge about organizational functioning as group emotional process, will guide us in managing self and in making better decisions. This is especially true for start-up businesses and early-stage entrepreneurs who have the opportunity to build and lead an efficient collaborative culture and to embed the excellence of performance into that culture, to inspire and equip leaders on teams to surpass expectations.