When Caring Leadership is Counterproductive

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These days, after some time for leadership self-reflection and situational circumstances related to Covid, it is reasonable to argue that advanced leaders have become somewhat more compassionate, vulnerable and transparent.

People like Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, Adam Grant, Amy Edmondson, and others have been influencing leadership in a very positive way. And high influence companies have been investing in “unbossing,” and other similar initiatives to improve leadership, moving away from old school, command and control behavior. Of course, there are still (and always will be) exceptions, and examples of jerk-like leadership behavior. However, is there an unintended downside to this leadership evolution?

If you approached your boss today with some concerns regarding barriers to doing your best work, it would be more likely that a modern leader would listen with sincere care and concern. That’s positive, except when little or no progress is made addressing those issues.

This paradox is evident in many organizations. It is strangely counterproductive and leads to material talent loss. Why? If you have an uncaring, insensitive boss, you can chalk grit in the gears due to a lack of leadership care and listening, (i.e., incompetence). However, when you have a caring and supportive boss, and you still are fighting the same problems/process/systems/policy/silo demons, it becomes even more exhausting. One runs the risk of feeling helpless or hopeless. “I know my boss genuinely cares and we still have to slog through the mud, day after day, it will obviously never improve.” “I can’t or don’t want to do this any more, I’m out of here ASAP.”

Survey after survey, year after year, reinforces that putting people first and treating them as the source of success involves a dedication to people concluding most work days feeling they have created value for others. That is THE most human thing we as leaders can do. Being compassionate and not removing obstacles is paradoxically even more painful. It ironically actually accelerates this feeling of being overworked and exhausted. Concluding most work days with toxic battles for any success is eventually lethal. Be truly people first! Be compassionate AND relentlessly make it easier for things of importance to get done. That’s an ingredient for sustainable success.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

Lorne

One Millennial View: I wonder, when you read a post like this, does it sound like an exciting opportunity to develop sustainable success with your team? Does this evoke a passion to genuinely care for team members and support working through obstacles by utilizing individual talent and skill sets? Or, does this just feel like an uninvited, added responsibility to an already overwhelmingly demanding job description?

With leadership influencers so accessible and transparent, does this create a capability issue? Anyone can gain access to the formulas and mindset of super leaders, however, are we honest about being able to mirror them?

We talk about people having the right to great (not perfect) leadership. As team members, I think we also need the grace to recognize leaders are in a pressurized situation, and while we’re all playing instruments, have the patience to realize it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock n’ roll.

- Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

When Caring Leadership is Counterproductive

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