Leaders, your words and actions reverberate more than you think
When you’re a leader, all eyes are on you. The higher on the ladder you climb, the more your words and actions are observed, sometimes in ways you did not intend. The consequences of a misinterpreted email or a casual comment are usually minor, but it can easily create unintended repercussions if not addressed.
Let me tell you a story about a CEO of a retail chain who casually complained about a rude clerk he encountered to some of his employees. Unwittingly, that remark launched a multi-million, years-long internal customer service training initiative that the CEO later admitted was never intended. Less-drastic examples exist too; one leader’s offhand appreciation of blueberry muffins resulted in mountains of muffins at all of his appointments.
While you may not always be conscious of your seniority, you can be assured that your employees are. Leaders can avoid crossed wires, hurt feelings, and organizational catastrophes with increased self-awareness.
Understand the downstream impacts of your behavior
Very often, managers underestimate the effects their behavior can have on those more junior. Mary (not her real name) is a business owner who made a practice of going into her firm’s general mailbox over the weekend to respond to disgruntled clients. She’d call them directly on a Saturday, listen to their issue, and then delegate the follow-up accordingly. This felt rewarding, believing she was going above and beyond for her clients. Meanwhile, her actions wreaked havoc on the team that came in on Monday morning. They’d need to find what emails she had responded to (and which she hadn’t) and decipher whatever it was she’d promised. Moreover, this practice often created bruised egos, as her employees interpreted Mary’s email interference as a sign that she was not happy with their work. Not to mention the inordinate effort it took to reestablish client expectations in response to these well-intended phone calls, who now considered Mary as their direct point of contact. When word got around, other clients began to have that expectation, too.
Like a pebble being thrown in a pond, Mary’s well-meaning actions caused an unintended and outsized ripple effect. She severely underestimated her influence on her clients and employees, a common misstep. Being a leader is a little bit like being a celebrity, and while you shouldn’t let fame go to your head, you do need to be cognizant of just how much your behavior can affect others. Before you hit send or speak off the cuff, pause and consider the possible outcomes for misinterpretation. That moment can be the difference between smooth sailing and choppy waters.
Ask yourself: What actions and/or offhand remarks have you made that may have led to further implications than you may realize?
Get the full picture
It can be difficult for leaders to fully understand their impact, because at many firms, employees aren’t comfortable speaking up. When my clients face this barrier, I recommend a 360 feedback exercise in which your direct reports, peers and leader share their constructive comments anonymously, creating a forum to share that they may not have otherwise. This enables the leader to gain a more complete understanding of how they - and their behavior - are perceived. Not only that, but the more often that sharing feedback is normalized and taken seriously, the more psychologically safe the workplace becomes, meaning that a time may come when employees feel comfortable coming to you directly.
Recently, I had a conversation with a managing partner (let’s call him Alex) to discuss the 360 feedback he’d received from his junior staff. He discovered that because he liked to be kept “in the loop” on everything, issues weren’t being raised, thus going unaddressed. As the 360 explained, it’s one thing to email your peer and perhaps their supervisor to notify them of a mistake or an opportunity to improve, but it’s quite another to copy their boss’s boss’s boss. Alex’s innocent attempt at being involved was undermining progress, yet he’s been able to make changes that have improved the situation. The solution was simple, however Alex wouldn’t have even known there was a problem without becoming aware of his employees’ perceptions.
Ask yourself: What comes up for you about the prospect of soliciting anonymous feedback? Excited? Nervous? Resentful? Hopeful?
Acknowledge your influence
As you become more aware of the impact you have, acknowledge it. Communicate to your team that you are aware that this may be happening in your organization, and make agreements so that you’re maximizing your time (and theirs!). However feedback is shared, I encourage you to take ownership, and create solutions together with your team. Small changes - like Mary forgoing her weekend client calls or Alex stepping away from involving himself in every detail - will be just as visible as the behaviors causing problems in the first place, and your team will notice.
To paraphrase Maya Angelou, when you know better, you do better, so take positive steps that reflect your new awareness. When Reuben Mark was the CEO of Colgate-Palmolive, he had his assistant keep track of which floors he visited so that no department would feel slighted. “The little things matter,” he said, and he’s right.
Ask yourself: How are my actions impacting my team? What do I need to shift to show up as the leader my organization needs?
It’s natural to feel a little defensive when told your well-meaning intentions are doing more harm than good, yet it’s an opportunity to become more self-aware and improve your relationships with your people. When you’re tempted to make an off-the-cuff comment, pause and think of the mountains of blueberry muffins. By considering how your words and actions affect others - and making changes when necessary - you’re demonstrating your commitment to lead at the highest level and the wellness of your team.
“Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing.” – Lawrence Bossidy