Leadership in a time of crisis

In a world forever changed by lockdowns, isolation and distancing, now more than ever, we see ideas, concepts, and conversations related to stale company culture, toxic bosses, and poor leadership becoming common place. Many critics and scholars have named this career-defining renaissance the Great Resignation. 

People want bosses to appreciate and value their unique qualities, develop their skills, and nurture their creativity. They want to feel trusted by a boss who acts more like a mentor. One that sees them as capable of making informed decisions and directly impacting the day-to-day business. 

In addition to this, today’s workers also want the freedom and autonomy to work remotely. Leaders of industry know how to be flexible and pivot in times of change. They observe the growing demands of today’s workers, listen to feedback and send out survey’s to learn about their people. They do this to adjust their ways of working to better support the will of the people. Many companies have transformed the typical office setting, not working that old-fashioned nine to five, five days a week at the office and not sitting in traffic for hours on end. The interesting thing is they are finding when they do go to the office they enjoy it more.

Control, Power & Compliance

Times change, the only thing constant in life is change, however not everyone deals with change the same.  Especially what Industrial and Organizational (I/O) psychology calls Autocratic Leaders, and what I call Old School Bosses in a previous article https://coachdavemarch.com/old-school-bosses-part-one/ Many autocratics similar to Authoritarian leaders are concerned only with control, power and compliance. Anyone that falls out of line is expendable. 

Fred Flinstone’s boss Mr. Slate, at the Bedrock Quarry and Gravel Company comes to mind. Mr Slate is stern, negative and hot-temepred. He never seems satisfied with the way anyone at the company is working, especially Fred. Always looking for a reason to fire him. Quick to judge, and unwilling to bend, and always on the verge of a temper-tantrum, Mr. Slate is the epitome of authoritarian leadership, although it is still a caricature or exaggerated example

At bottom, this is a fear-based leadership model. Telling everyone as much as humanly possible what the consequences will be if they fall out of line. A my-way-or-the-highway kind of approach. Constantly reminding their employees about “the rules and procedures.” Only bragging about their own accomplishments. 

Autocratic leaders thrive in an environment filled with entry level and inexperienced people because they can better mold them then say a more experienced senior level professional. Their practical yet at times off-putting demeanor toward people with little training or experience helps them mold them into the “cookie-cutter,” one-size-fits-all workforce. Que the zooming out footage of a office space of 100 people all doing the same exact thing.  The pay is low, and asking for career growth or movement throughout the company is a direct threat to progress and they don’t know how to handle it.  

Working in this old-school environment under an autocratic leader makes each employee nothing more than a cog in the wheel. Autocratic bosses don’t seek to understand each individual person and how to maximize their unique talents. they see if they fit into the structure that’s made or if they will be a monkey wrench in the operation. When you are “working for the Autocratic man” your job is to be quiet, keep your head down and be compliant. Obey or go away.

With little to no focus on individual strengths, preferences, and personal goals the likelihood that the office environment shows any trace of motivation is extremely low. This decreases the drive to show up for work exponentially. In decades past, people didn’t question the old industrialism, work ethic where being devoted to a single job until retirement was the status quo. Those days are over and Autocratic bosses can actually do employees an unexpected favor, instilling in them the desire to leave their post.

It’s not easy; but it’s better to give notice and leave the old school boss behind, if you are not growing and feel stagnant in your career. When you tap into a new sense of belonging; to one’s passions and interests. You will look back and laugh, it’s absolutely okay to quit a job where one feels unwanted and unappreciated.

Leaving an oppressive work culture helps you realize your worth, you will wonder how you worked for someone that never believed in you in the first place. It’s a chance in a lifetime to develop one’s unique sense of individuality! Welcome to the Great Resignation!

Developing our own Individuality 

There are two sides to every spectrum. The opposite of the rigid, cookie-cutter way of the oppressive workforce is finding a way to focus on one’s individuality and creating synergies, this is the way of the new school leadership or servant leadership, more on this topic here

Understanding yourself and working well with others is a quite an interesting paradox. One could think that a person who is “Self-absorbed” in knowing about themselves is selfish. Yet many who seek to understand themselves, their personalities and how to present ourselves as “different” are able to better unite with one another.

This is because when you better know yourself, your strengths and your work preferences, you do better in cross-functional collaboration with others. When we work individually, yet strive to work together, we contribute to something greater than the sum of its parts.

Bosses who can recognize this, and have the desire is to create dynamic trusted teams that work efficiently and effectively, welcome the voices of change and appreciate the differences between people.

Building trust also means learning how, when and where to communicate. Learning when to simply listen, when to provide resources or when to provide feedback. Also, adjusting workflows and operations to be more efficient and effective.

Finally, they encourage failure, I have always liked the phrase “mistakes are a blessing in disguise” (I have also written an article on it here) another good way of asking this is “What did fail at today” As a precursor to ask “what did you learn today.”

This concept seems contradictory to success, but embracing failure actually encourages employees to talk about their mistakes and builds trust among managers and coworkers. Additionally, this vulnerability shows the team, that you are only human and opens the pathway to some great conversations.  While it may not be the central focus of discussions, it’s always good to find ways to learn from and mistakes in a gentle and kind manner.

The Defining Marks of Great Leadership

Widely regarded as one of the most influential management experts, Mary Parker Follett’s management theory increases coordination among leaders and workers. She empathized the importance of managers and supervisors “powering with” employees rather than “powering over” them. She believed, leadership is not defined by the exercise of power but by the capacity to increase a sense of power among those they lead.

People that follow this type of leadership style and continue to foster their employees professional growth by believing in them and giving them tough challenges goes a long way. This is because, your individuality only really starts to shine when you strive, with all your might, against a near impossible challenge. Everyone has a unique way to solve a problem. Your individuality is your own unique weapon for making the most of your life. It is your jeweled sword.

Lastly, leaders who have worked hard and long to develop their own identity not only leave a legacy and lasting impression on the company and workforce, they take delight in seeing others develop theirs to the fullest. They support and encourage them in all of their efforts, They take joy in others success, they have the capacity to work for the happiness and welfare of others.