Most leaders are incredibly busy. They often feel like they have more to do than the time they have. That sometimes causes leaders to cut people off in conversations. They respond before the other person has completed their thought. 

I worked with a client once that took over every conversation he had, including me. After observing and experiencing his hijacking, I wrestled back a conversation to point out what he was doing. He shrugged it off as a bad habit. 

It's far more than that. As a person, it isn't polite. As a leader, it's a serious and potentially fatal flaw. His inability to let others finish their sentence significantly undermines his leadership effectiveness. 

His "bad habit" leaves his employees and colleagues feeling less valued. That impacts employee morale. That leads to lower employee engagement and potential turnover. Also, the leader misses out on learning important information and perspectives. That is vital to being a successful leader.

I give the client credit. He took every word I said to heart. Without even interrupting me. He asked how he could change. I said it was simple. Whenever he felt the urge to interrupt someone, he just needed to tell himself, "Wait and listen."

Think about your leadership. First, do you wait and listen? Second, is there anything you do as a leader that you might brush off as a bad habit when in reality, it might be a fatal flaw? If so, there is a simple solution as well. If you're unsure what it is, wait and listen. It will come to you.