How To Break Bad Leadership Habits That Hold You Back

Did you know the most impactful leaders often have the best habits?

At Raise The Bar, we don't just help leaders learn new skills - we help them build habits that create lasting impact.

Bad habits don't break overnight but small, intentional changes can transform the way you lead by building better leadership behaviors that stick.

So, how do you break a bad leadership habit?

In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg explains that habits can't be broken; they can only be replaced using the Habit Loop:

1. Cue (Trigger): The event or feeling that initiates the habit 

2. Routine: The behavior itself

3. Reward: The benefit your brain receives, reinforcing the behavior

One of the biggest leadership pitfalls? Being in the habit of giving unstructured delegation and unclear communication. Teams struggle with misalignment, wasted effort, and lack of motivation without a clearly defined vision and structured communication.

Here's a 3-step framework for

replacing a bad habit

Let’s replace the being in the habit of unstructured delegation with the new one—setting clear, consistent expectations that align the team with the bigger vision.

Step 1: Identify the cue and ask, “What triggers the habit?”

Example: A leader assigns work through various methods without setting clear expectations, causing confusion and missed project goals.

The trigger? The leader feels overwhelmed by the amount of work they have.

---

Step 2: Replace the old behavior with a new one

Example: Instead of delegating at random because it makes the leader feel better in the moment, they could create a weekly designation system.

• Step 1: List all projects and tasks at the start of each week.

  
  

• Step 2: Standardize when and how tasks are assigned—such as through a dedicated Monday morning meeting or a structured email with clear priorities, owners, and deadlines.

  
  

• Step 3: Reinforce expectations by following up in a consistent format (e.g., a shared project board or weekly check-ins).

  
  

This ensures that every team member knows exactly what’s expected, how their work contributes to the bigger vision, and how it aligns with the company’s strategic goals.

---

Step 3: Reinforce with a reward

The old reward? Short term relief when the leader feels like work is being accomplished.

The new reward? A high-performing, aligned team that understands and executes the vision with confidence.

Example: The leader now sees fewer miscommunications, smoother execution, and stronger team accountability—resulting in higher confidence that projects will be completed successfully without constant follow-ups or confusion.

The best leaders aren’t just the ones who naturally have good habits. The strongest ones know how to transform their weaknesses into strengths.

Use this 3-step approach to build better habits that bring clarity, alignment, and momentum to your team.

Clarifying your vision and strategy is one of the most important skills a leader can develop. If you’re ready to take this a step further, check out our mini-Bootcamp on Strategic Leadership. You’ll learn how to define and communicate a clear vision, align your team, and master two other critical leadership skills. 

Learn More About Our mini-Bootcamp