One of my editors years ago had hanging in his office a poster that showed the face of a grey wolf, close-up, with the caption "leadership."

It was assumed that this wolf was the pack's alpha dog, a role this editor filled, or aspired to fill, and an image he wanted to reinforce.

Leadership is a loaded word. Just think about how many leadership quotes you can read online and the wide array of leadership styles and actions all these quips and posters and studies and books either celebrate or put down.

The thing is, it's easy to make leadership mistakes. These aren't necessarily business mistakes, but flaws in the way you motivate, manage and relate to your people.

John Brandon has an interesting blog on Inc.com listing 10 of the most common leadership mistakes and how to avoid them. The mistakes run the gamut from inaction to bullying, and Brandon encourages leaders to stop and think about the things they do and say in order to successfully build trust, communication, understanding and teamwork among employees.

A bad leader, Brandon writes, "Looks like someone trying to herd elephants with a fly swatter. Don't be that person."

Check out the full blog here.