Dysfunctional Leadership

Why do we have so many dysfunctional leaders?

I got thinking about this this week due to several events that created a theme.  Firstly, I had a coaching session this week with someone who has a leader who is trying to micromanage a complex situation where there is no certainty, and an iterative approach is demanded to feel through the situation.  Secondly, I’ve just finished Steve Hearsum ‘No Silver Bullet’ (a great read that I would recommend to anyone supporting leaders or organizations) and recognized many of the criticisms of business schools which offer ‘Silver Bullets’ when I chose what was, at the time, a quite unconventional course, and was told I’d regret it.  Thirdly, I’ve been doing some tidying up of my book collection and came across the little gem that is ‘On the Psychology of Military Incompetence’ by Dr Norman Dixon, his discussion around indecisiveness and a tendency to reject unwelcome information, points to the closed mindset of many. I’m sure subconsciously there are many other things that got me thinking about this (and don’t get me onto the current state of political leadership in the UK!)

So, what does this tell me?  Firstly, like I hope I do, leaders should always be learning.  What worked yesterday or last year might not work tomorrow.  Always seek to bring new learnings to bear in what you do next.

Listen more.  People inherently want to do a good job, if they say something is complex or might take longer don’t dismiss their ideas out of hand.  Sure, question them, but from a point of view of seeking to understand the other party’s perspective, NOT to double down on do as I say.  Listen to understand, not to speak.

Seek to understand the unique context you face NOW.  They say we live in a VUCA or BANI world (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity/brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible); many situations are complex, multi-faceted and full of unknows.  Build in plenty of reviews, iterate based on what you learn, seek to use the full diversity (particularly cognitive diversity) of your teams(s). DON’T rely on your one best way that ‘worked in the past’

Understand the importance of psychological safety and trust.  If you create this environment, people will listen to what you say more openly because they know you are open to constructive challenge. I’ve written previously about this.

Before you embark on a course of action, think about the possible outcomes, including negative ones Gary Klein’s concept of a ‘Premortem’ is valuable here.  The whole team considers what could possibly go wrong and how these factors can be mitigated.

Remember ‘the norm of reciprocity’.  Put simply, treat others the ways you’d expect others to treat you.  It is simple but a good starting point when thinking about an interaction in the workplace.

Try to keep balance – currently I’ve seen a lot of nonsense about 996.  Working from 9am to 9pm 6 days a week.  This leads to burnout, and this is not good for either you or the people you lead.  Get some balance, eat well, exercise, have some downtime.  Self-care is important.

There will be so many other factors as well.  When we work with leaders, we seek to understand the unique situation they operate in, and work with them to make sense of this and the people in the system.  No sheep dipping here!

If you’d like to discuss further, please feel free to get in touch!