• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

12 Signs It’s Time to Change Your Leadership Style

By
YEC
YEC
and
AllBusiness.com
AllBusiness.com
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
YEC
YEC
and
AllBusiness.com
AllBusiness.com
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 7, 2017, 8:00 PM ET
Businesspeople walking on sand dune, rear view (soft focus)
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USAAndy Ryan—Getty Images

This article originally appeared on AllBusiness.

Your employees dread talking to you, and your star performers are finding ways to cut corners. It’s not their attitudes that have changed. Chances are, it’s your leadership style. If you’re not the type of leader your team is happy to work for, it’s time to make a change.

That’s why we asked 12 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

Q. What’s one tell-tale sign that it’s time to make a change in my leadership style?

1. Things Aren’t Getting Done

The only metric that matters is progress. If you’re constantly hitting roadblocks with people and not making progress, then it’s time to change yourself or the people around you. The easiest place to start is trying a few changes in your management style to see if it has a positive effect. Start by asking for objective feedback from your peers about the best way you can work with them. —Andy Karuza, FenSens

2. People Stop Interacting With You

People like to work and do business with people they like. When you’re likable, people favor you and engage with you more often. So if you find that fewer people are reaching out, or your team isn’t engaging with you beyond the bare minimum that’s needed to do their job, you might want to improve your leadership habits. —Andrew Thomas, SkyBell Doorbell

3. You’re Not Delegating Regularly

Leadership is knowing when someone else on your team could do something you’re attempting, but better. Being confident in handing over a project and entrusting that it will get done with flying colors is core to effective leadership. —Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer, AirPR

4. You’re Not Giving Enough Advice

If your employees are going to their coworkers or other members of management to ask for advice instead of coming to you, it’s a sign you need to make a change in your leadership style. This shows one of two things: You’re difficult to approach or your advice isn’t valued by your team. Take notice of who your employees go to for questions or advice—it really does say a lot. —Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff.com

5. Your Employees No Longer Respect You

If you have to remind members of your team that you’re the boss or the leader, you have a major problem on your hands. At some point, the team stopped trusting and respecting you and your decisions, meaning it’s time for a shift in your leadership style. —Antonio Neves, TheAntonioNeves.com

6. People Are Quitting

People don’t quit jobs, they quit managers. If people are leaving your organization in medium or large numbers, you need to evaluate your leadership style and how you’re affecting others. Luckily, in the two businesses I’ve owned, we’ve lost very few people. But even when one person decides to leave, I make sure to really understand their decision and use it as a tool for development. —Mark Krassner, Expectful

7. Your Employees Aren’t as Dedicated

If you no longer have volunteers willing to work overtime or cover someone who’s on vacation, and deadlines that never used to be an issue are now being missed, you need to think seriously about adjusting your leadership style. —Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers

8. Your Leadership Doesn’t Reflect in the Results

There are two main ways to figure out how productive you are as a leader: how you feel about the way you’re leading and the results you produce as a leader. I tend to focus more on the results. Are my team members engaged? Are we producing? Is everyone working as hard as they can whether I’m involved in the project or not? Take a look at your results and you’ll know how well you are leading. —Arel Moodie, Art of Likability

9. Company Morale Has Decreased

Most employees will try to get their work done, no matter what. (After all, they need to put a roof over their heads.) But when the mood and culture of your office changes, you’re in trouble. Having employees who simply work for a paycheck is a sure sign of a sinking ship, and only a true leader can steer it. —Elle Kaplan, LexION Capital

10. Milestones Aren’t Being Hit

A team is a collection of individuals, and the best leaders tailor their interactions to the idiosyncrasies that make us all human. It’s easy to apply the wrong approach, but the best way to tell is if you aren’t hitting milestones. Leadership is like putting a puzzle together—sometimes you just have to shake up the box and rearrange the pieces. —Douglas Hutchings, Picasolar

11. Your Employees Don’t Open Up to You

When I’m meeting with an employee and he/she blatantly acquiesces instead of conveying his/her true thoughts regarding a decision, that’s when I know self-reflection is necessary on my part. It’s important to our company culture that we maintain an open-minded environment and that our employees have ownership over their projects and pride in their day-to-day work. A good leader is a good listener. —Andy Eastes, SkuVault

More from AllBusiness:
• 10 Signs You May Be a Horrible Boss: Updated!
• Inspire Your Staff to Generate Healthy Change and New Ideas
• The Seven Types of Managers—Where Do You Stand?

12. Your Star Players Are Cutting Corners

If you see your star employee suddenly cutting corners, it’s time to reassess how you’re managing your team. If this does happen, try to problem-solve as soon as possible instead of ignoring it. Sitting down with your team and asking how you can improve as a leader will also help you make a positive change. —Bryanne Lawless, BLND Public Relations

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs.

About the Authors
By YEC
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By AllBusiness.com
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai seated next to Apple CEO Tim Cook at a formal dinner.
AIApple
What Apple’s AI deal with Google means for the two tech giants, and for $500 billion ‘upstart’ OpenAI
By Jeremy Kahn and Beatrice NolanJanuary 13, 2026
15 hours ago
Hubbard
Future of WorkJobs
Carhartt CEO says they always focused on blue-collar workers—but hipsters came anyway: ‘We welcome anyone … that wants to celebrate hard work’
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 13, 2026
16 hours ago
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Best certificates of deposit (CDs) for January 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJanuary 13, 2026
18 hours ago
A worker in a green jacket operates a welding tool.
EconomyLabor
U.S workers just took home their smallest share of capital since 1947, at least
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 13, 2026
19 hours ago
A smartphone displaying the Google Gemini logo.
AIEye on AI
As ‘agentic commerce’ gains ground, companies shouldn’t put too much faith in ‘GEO,’ one industry insider warns
By Jeremy KahnJanuary 13, 2026
21 hours ago
BankingDebt
Why the $38 trillion national debt doomed Fed independence regardless of the Trump/Powell drama, top economist says
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 13, 2026
21 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Despite his $2.6 billion net worth, MrBeast says he’s having to borrow cash and doesn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy McDonald’s
By Emma BurleighJanuary 13, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Tech
Elon Musk asked people to upload their medical data to X so his AI company could learn to interpret MRIs and CT scans
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 11, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The longer the Supreme Court delays its tariff decision, the better it is for President Trump
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 13, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Godfather of AI' says the technology will create massive unemployment and send profits soaring — 'that is the capitalist system'
By Jason MaJanuary 12, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Newsletters
The oil CEO who stood up to Trump is a follower of the disciplined 'Exxon way' and has a history of blunt statements
By Jordan BlumJanuary 13, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Google's Sergey Brin admits he's hiring 'tons' of workers without degrees: 'They just figure things out on their own in some weird corner'
By Preston ForeJanuary 12, 2026
2 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.