This is most likely why many new bosses fail, experts say.

Instead of blazing an individual path, most bosses succeed by creating collective quick wins, which benefit everyone.

So what are the barriers that trip up so many new bosses?

Four classic examples:

• The devil’s in the details. Many bosses focus on the small picture, instead taking a harder look at the big picture. The job is larger than even the sum of the details.
• Who needs criticism? “You’re either with me or you’re against me.” It’s this philosophy, bosses who ignore or over-react to criticism, that leads to the downfall of many. But remember: “We shall all hang together, or we will surely hang separately.”
• Because I said so. Power has gone to his or her head, and intimidation is mightier than persuasion. People will do something for so long, because you told them to. But they’ll only do it over the long haul because they want to do it.
• All the bucks stop here. When people are trusted to do a job, they don’t need a boss peering over their shoulder. It sends a negative message: “I don’t trust you.”

As part of your preparation, consider the possible poor moves you could make and keep them in mind. Don’t let these concepts paralyze you or upset your well-planned employment interview strategy. For the most part, just being aware of these shortcomings can be enough to help you avoid committing any of them.

Here are five of the big turn-offs cited by interviewers:

1. Show up late — or show up too EARLY. Of course, tardiness is a no-no. Show up 30 minutes early, and potential employers can smell the desperation. They also might suspect you have nothing better to do with your time. Demonstrate that your time is valuable too, just as theirs is. Ideal arrival time: 10 minutes before the scheduled interview.

2. Fail to show respect for the receptionist. This person is the gatekeeper for your potential employer, and his or her opinion of job applications can carry a lot of weight. 

 3. A poor handshake. It’s three seconds you’re given to make a good impression, one that can color the rest of the interview. Offer a “dead fish”? Potential employers will read a limp handshake as a sign of weakness or lack of interest. At the other end of the spectrum, if you seize and clutch that offered with Hulk-like intensity, it can place your sincerity in doubt. Shaking too firmly and pumping too hard is associated with over-aggressive salespeople.

4. Talk too much. Sure, they want to hear what you have to say — in direct response to their line of questioning. This is not the time to demonstrate your oratorical skills; some might interpret as an inability to get to the point. On the other hand, if you fill the void with nervous chatter, many employers could suspect you have something to hide. Also, never, never say negative things — especially about past employers or bosses. It shows you have disrespect for your employer.

5. Shifty eye contact. You’re not sitting at the poker table, trying to bluff your way into a jackpot. The two extremes: Failure to make enough eye contact can make employers feel you are distrustful; too much eye contact and the interviewer will feel like you’re boring holes into his or her head. Best bet: Practice your “routine” with a friend.

(For guidance on what you SHOULD do during the interview process, see “Is It Time for a New Job? What You Need to Know,” posted June 16.)

Fast forward: Let’s assume your well-fashioned resume has cracked the door open to you, and your potential employer calls to schedule an interview. This is good — it’s the first hurdle you need to clear. But there are three things you need to remind yourself of, no matter what the situation:

• It’s critical you make a positive first impression (first impressions do count)
• Don’t count on being offered a job before the end of the initial interview, and
• What you do and what you say — and how you demonstrate you can think on your feet — will determine whether you’re called in for a second interview.

OK, so what should you expect — and what should you offer — during a first interview?

Here are five key points you need to know if you’re going to succeed on that first interview, and prepare to move on to the next step:

1. Your first step in preparing for the interview is to research the company you’ve targeted for new employment. You want to find out as much as you can about the company before you set foot in the door. (Who knows — what you learn might lead you to reconsider your decision to work there.) But if you go the interview with a basic knowledge of your would-be employer, it shows you’ve done a little hustling and more than standard preparation. Where to start? Punch the company’s name into Google.
2. Know what you want your potential employer to come away with when the interview is finished. What points will you make about why you and your skills are ideally suited for this job? What personal traits do you bring to the table — self starter or team player, for instance. Think about the “message” you want to deliver.
3. What you wear does matter. It’s never acceptable to show up for an important interview in casual attire. For men, that means a suit; for women, formal office attire. If you have reservations about what’s appropriate, call the reception area and ask about the standard dress code. Plan your interview attire to be one notch above that.
4. Show enthusiasm — but not desperation. Ask the interviewer some questions of your own. Make sure you shake hands firmly. Also, now is not the time to start asking about pay, vacation or benefits. You’re way ahead of the game. Stay cool, but not overly reserved.
5. Before you leave, make sure you discuss the next step — where the interview process goes from here. Some employers will choose this moment for the, “Don’t worry we’ll call you” response. If that’s the case, bow out gracefully (and don’t start asking why, or what went wrong). And if you think it’s a quality company and you might be interested in other jobs there, let the interviewer know.

One more thing: It never hurts to follow up an initial job interview with a personal thank-you note. It doesn’t have to re-cap the interview; just thank the interviewer for his or her time.

TOMORROW: What NOT to do on a job interview.

To start with, this isn’t an attempt to inspire you to dust off the old resume and hit the pavement. If there are problems that are making you unhappy with your current job, it’s unlikely you’ll leave all of those problems behind if you’re hired by a new employer.

So think about what bothers you — and what it would take to consider the matter remedied. Stats show that only 54% of employees feel their current employer offers a bright future. But that doesn’t mean that the other 46% of employees are bailing or halfway out the door.

Is it the profession? The people you work with? The daily commute? The pay? The (unreasonable) expectations?

Once you start to pin down what bothers you about your current job, it’s easier to start researching for other possibilities. But this also can be a tough area to navigate. So what are some of the common roadblocks that keep employees from at least snooping around the job market?

• The fear of “change” outweighs their unhappiness
• There aren’t any opportnities in their field
• Don’t want to leave the friends they’ve made, and
• Fear of losing health benefits

Once you’ve defined what you don’t want and what might be holding you back, you can work on breaking free from these common apprehensions and think more clearly about the prospects of changing jobs.

One major reason people can’t get out of the starting blocks is because they aren’t able to clearly define what it is they’re looking for — the goal for where they and need to be.

In some respects, it’s a matter of answering the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Have you always wanted to be something — a veterinarian? a make-up artist? a firefighter? — but talked yourself out of it?

Begin to think of a game plan for what it would take you to reach that goal. A good way to address this is to engage in a little detective work. Ask people:

• What they like about their jobs
• To describe a typical day
• How they decided this is what they wanted to do, and
• How they put that decision into action

Two more pieces of advice: Don’t count on the newspaper classifieds or even Monster.com, Craigslist.org, etc. for your best job opportunity. Find ways to network with your peers. Talk to people who’ve done your “dream job” and ask them how they got there,

If you’re serious about finding a new pursuit but you’re still not having success, consider talking to a career counselor.