How Fear-Based Leadership Is Holding Your Business Back

IS FEAR-BASED LEADERSHIP HOLDING YOUR BUSINESS BACK?

I am surprised at how leading by fear is still so common in our workplaces. I mean sure, leading by fear can get things done and is a powerful motivator, but it is also a dangerous game to play.

It is important to note that leaders who try to hold people accountable through fear may not realize they’re doing it – and the people around them won’t tell them either. Or, if they’re doing it intentionally, they may try to argue that fear is the only approach that gets things done. Many leaders fall into fear-based leadership by default, because they are stressed, overwhelmed, insecure or desperate for immediate results.

Fear can manifest in an organization in many ways, but it typically happens with a trickle-down effect, where ineffective leaders employ scare tactics to control the behavior of employees. These tactics come in the form of veiled threats, passive aggression, intimidation, manipulation, silence treatment or humiliation.

Whatever the case, fear-based leadership is ineffective and plain wrong. There are leaders who might be tempted to use their ego and authority to challenge their teams, but it is impossible to get the best business outcomes when you take this approach.

Leading by fear has a number of consequences. It stops teamwork, it creates silos and mistrust, it stops people from speaking up and it makes them afraid of being criticised for their ideas, killing their confidence.

I’ve seen very experienced and competent people lose their confidence after prolonged bullying by fear-based leaders. Once they’ve lost their confidence, the other problems begin. They stop speaking up, they stop collaborating. Basically, they turn into the type of team member that they never wanted to be.

When your people are scared, they can’t think clearly, they become frustrated and overwhelmed, and build resentment towards the leader and the business. Stress levels and employee turnover rise, while workplace satisfaction and happiness plummet, motivation and engagement disappears and performance diminishes. As a consequence,  there is an absence of  innovation, creativity, collaboration, solutions or ideas that could move your business forward.

As a leader, your job is to inspire others do their best work, instead of adding even more obstacles for them to navigate. Ditch the fear and lead with respect and transparency instead. Give up control and trust and inspire your people to do great things.

We need to swap the fear-based approach for one where psychological safety abounds. In a workplace where everyone feels safe, there is a sense that nobody will be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes. The absence of fear leads to more innovation, increased productivity and an environment where people are allowed to thrive.

Nobody likes leaders who rule with fear. Remember, employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. If you want to attract and retain great talent, and take your business to a whole new level, consider trying better, more effective approaches to bringing out the best in your people.

To your success,

Isabel

Isabel is an experienced Peak Performance Strategist with over 20 years of international work experience holding senior positions within the hospitality industry in countries around the world, as well as Executive and Leadership coaching, mentoring and training. She specializes in high performance strategy, leadership development and building organizational culture to help leaders and their teams learn, grow and succeed. Isabel is passionate about helping empower business leaders with the mindset, performance, skills and strategies that they need to get ahead. More available on www.isabelvalle.com