“You notice that things are different! Your motivational speech; once greeted by applause and passion, now receives a lukewarm reception. You still connect; but there is definitely something missing from your typically dynamic leadership message. It dawns on you that what you are missing is followers. You have lost your team, and your mojo.

Once you are identified as a great leader; you typically do not lose that title. However, it does not mean that you will have the same job forever. Great leaders are not immune to turbulence. The key to having consistent success is to know when your message is beginning to fade.

The first sign of lost leadership is that your vision is no longer universally accepted and embraced. The first sign that your message is no longer loved is when you receive a cold and unremarkable reception. It is okay for the team to challenge the wisdom of their letter; but there is a difference between someone asking “questions of understanding” related to your vision, and questioning whether or not your vision is viewed as the right way to go. A good leader wants his people to ask questions; because it shows that they want to know the and believe in all facets of it. But if heads are shaking and numbers are being called into question; then people are beginning to lose their faith in you.

The second sign that you are no longer viewed as highly is when your employees start looking to move on. You may be hit all at once by a rash of employees applying for different jobs in different departments. The reasons why is typically something very generic like “they want to try something new” or they are just plain burned out. They are not running from the company; they are running form you.

The third sign of declining leadership is found in your mirror. Have you emotionally abandoned your team? Do you no longer love to sit down and map out a 3-5 year plan designed to keep your company and team relevant? Leaders typically leave their teams long before their teams leave them. Has your message fallen on deaf ears; or are they hearing nothing because you are saying nothing?

The best way to combat and avoid having a declining presence is to have a personal 3-5 year plan. This plan focuses solely on your long term goals. If in the planning stages you start seeing gaps where you have no vision; then that would be the time you should start thinking of or planning an exit strategy.