The Worst Leadership Clichés (And How to Avoid Them)

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ve likely heard these clichéd business leadership phrases actually uttered with no irony whatsoever.   

Clichés become clichéd because they are overused to the point of absurdity and meaninglessness. What might have been motivating, original thinking the first time it was uttered has become the stuff of sitcoms and films about terrible bosses. 

You, on the other hand, are not a terrible boss, because you know to eliminate these clichés from both your vocabulary and your leadership playbook.

1. “There is no ‘I’ in team.”
   While teamwork is obviously important, each member of that team is also an individual. It doesn’t work to treat every person as simply a cog in the machine. The best leaders treat individuals as, well, individuals, and play up their strengths within the team.
2. “There are no stupid questions.”
   While the aim of this cliché is noble (anyone can ask any question), there arequestions that don’t add to or move the conversation forward. It’s OK to address redundant questions as a problem and take steps to eliminate them.
3. “The customer is always right.”
   When you take the customer’s side over that of your employees — even when the customer was clearly in the wrong — you lose the faith and trust of the employees. An employee who doesn’t feel blamed can be shown that even an unreasonable customer deserves good customer service.
4. “Give 110 percent.”
   Apart from the mathematical impossibility here, your employees don’t know what this actually means. Are you asking them to stay late? Work through lunch? Increase productivity by 10 percent? Instead, create meaningful, specific goals.
5. “Don’t bring me a problem without a solution.”
   In most situations, if the employee could resolve the situation on his or her own, they would have. This sort of cliché doesn’t encourage accountability, but rather discourages employees from speaking up when they notice an issue. Instead, create an environment in which people are encouraged to bring up problems, and the team can work together to solve them.
6. “Think outside the box.”
   This admonition is so vague as to be meaningless. Instead of demanding blanket creativity, provide clear guidance through the creative process. How can you encourage your team to look at the problem differently?
7. “Every opinion counts.”
   Well, yes and no. The workplace is not a democracy. Someone — likely you, if you’re in a leadership position — has the final say. Encouraging employees to express their opinions is a fine practice; but someone must be in the driver’s seat, able to make critical decisions that keep projects moving forward.
8. “Work smarter, not harder.”
   When you say this, you’re implying that the job at hand should take less time and effort than it currently does. If there is a better way to approach a task, teach it or find it, but don’t leave it to generalisations.
9. “We appreciate your feedback.”
   Whether you’re speaking to clients or employees, this kind of invitation is only going to entice the outliers: Those exceptionally happy or unhappy. If you really want feedback, take an active role in collecting it: ask.
10. “Failure is not an option.”
    Unfortunately, failure is always an option. This cliché is often used to shut down debate or prevent questions about a questionable decision. Instead, defend your decision, encourage the debate, answer the hard questions, and by doing so, hopefully avoid failure.

Avoiding these clichés like the plague (I couldn’t help it) will not only improve your conversation skills, but your leadership skills as well. Don’t fall back on these tired maxims of old, and instead rely on active, engaged leadership and management techniques to be the kind of leader who becomes famous — rather than infamous.