LEADERSHIP MOMENTS
Negative Leadership
I experienced a negative example of leadership this week. Probably an example of fixed on product and authoritative leadership styles. My sister-in-law (Penny) had requested time off for our brother-in-law’s funeral. Her supervisor in turn submitted a request on her behalf for a “cousin”. Then proceeded to let her know she could have the day but would not be paid. Penny has described her boss on several occasions. He uses blame techniques to pin staff against each other in what appears to be efforts to increase productivity. He does not appear to attend well to staffs concerns or their personal lives which shows more of a directive approach than a supportive approach. After Penny had corrected him, he then proceeded to tell her she still would not get bereavement pay. She was prepared for this however, since he habitually does these types of things. She showed him the employee handbook that showed she did get bereavement pay. She then called HR to ensure that the correct information was given. HR did indicate that he submitted the information for a cousin, and they corrected the information to reflect the correct relationship and confirmed she would get paid.
This situation makes me feel sympathy not only for Penny but for the others that work with her. A boss that doesn’t care enough to empathize with an employee who lost a family member, dismissed the death as unimportant and incorrectly submitted paperwork, doesn’t seem like a very competent leader. I would say this is definitely the wrong approach. There are times when being assertive and directive is needed, but I struggle with finding a reason for an authoritative approach. Leadership requires compassion and empathy recognizing employees are people who have lives outside of work and at times someone’s personal life may cross into work hours. I don’t believe that being dismissive of an employee’s situation is ever an appropriate approach.
If I were the leader in this situation, first I would show empathy to my employee and offer condolences. I would ensure her paperwork was submitted timely and correctly so that her bereavement time was taken care of correctly. I would know the employee handbook so that I am aware of the company policies on bereavement. If I wasn’t sure, I would look it up myself, not tell the employee “I don’t think…” I would also ask if she wanted the news to be shared with other employees or kept secret so that if the other staff members wanted to offer condolences, gift, flowers, sympathy cards etc, they would be given the opportunity to do so. I would find out the information for the funeral home and send flowers or card to let her know we are thinking about her and care. If we could not gather that information, then I would send it to her home. To me, these things fall under “the right thing to do.” Not for personal gain or for the employee to like me but just because it’s the human thing to do, a supportive approach to leadership rather than a transactional or fixed on product approach.
LEADERSHIP MOMENTS
Reluctant Leadership
This week I read about a reluctant leader. An individual who did not want to be a leader was forced into the role because of environmental, political, and familial dynamics. What was most interesting to me was the individual did not intend nor even want to be a leader. He led with tremendous conviction and humility. He understood that he did not know everything about leadership but knew the organization well since he was born in it. Rather than "I know all of this," he understood his limitations, spoke of them readily, and hired individuals he felt were more knowledgeable than he. Many business leaders are considered narcissistic (Maccoby, 2000). They can be transformative and innovative but may also lack trust and self-promoting, hiring people that are not as strong out of intimidation and fear of looking like they don't know everything (Maccoby, 2000). If the hire shows signs of strength and leadership, the leader will minimize their knowledge and achievements or dismiss their ideas and take them as their own. However, this leader promoted his hires' views, expressed his fallibility, and allowed for innovative thinking. Instead of a hub-and-spoke leadership strategy, he used more of a fluid structure that enables lower-level managers to take the lead on a project and guide the CEO to innovate and allow scale.