Are you a great leader, or a leadership tyrant? Ask yourself these 5 critical questions
As leaders here at Perspective Partners, we have had to ask ourselves this very question at some point, great leader or leadership tyrant? The self-assessment often was provoked, and not merely self-reflection just because! Self-reflection was the result of something being brought to our intention – an indirect signaling that we needed to take a look into our leadership style and approach. Approach includes behavior, structure, access, tone, content, foundation/pathways, platform, forum and so on and so forth.
This article will help those who are in question of where they fall in this line-up, “great leader or leadership tyrant”, and if it is OK to alternate between the two based on the climate!
- Is negative feedback okay? If it’s not okay, you might be a tyrant. However, it’s also important to note that negative feedback is often just a suggestion of how a project or process could be improved. What if you’re overlooking potential because you’re offended that someone who works for you wants to improve your results? Seems silly, right?
- Can someone else be smarter than you? Yep. You’re the boss. You’ve earned that title. But, do you honestly believe that makes you the smartest person in the room? If you answered yes, I want to challenge you. Did you ever have a boss that was less intelligent than you? Of course you did. And, you have employees (if you’re hiring the best) that could teach you a thing or two. You should want all your employees to be smarter than you.
- Are you consistently looking for ways to manipulate people? This is a horrible question. But, is it true? Inspiration, engagement, and motivation are seemingly positive terminology. But, do you truly understand your intentions when using this terminology? And, the bigger question is, do you care? Do you honestly care about the people you’re trying to motivate, and their needs? If you don’t, you’re a tyrant…or at least a hypocrite.
- Do you honestly know anything personal about your employees? Sure, you can fake this. But, if you do, your employees know it. In fact, trying to know something personal, without actually caring, makes you worse. I was laid off from a company. My former boss would call me, or at least text me, on my birthday every year and ask about my kids. He knew their names, although he had never met them. He was not a tyrant.
- What do you actually care about? Think about this. The word ‘Care’ has a big, contextual, definition. You can say you care about people. You can say you care about their careers. You can say you care about their families, their passions, and their pastimes. But, if you only truly care about the effort they give to you, you’re not only a tyrant, but also an awful human—which, I’m sure, exposes itself in other aspects of your life.
What are people saying behind your back?
I’ve asked this question to many leaders throughout the years. Many show concern, and they ask “Do you think my employees hate me?” Others, however, have a different response, “I don’t care if they’re talking behind my back.” And, that response makes you a tyrant. Why? Because it literally shows you don’t care about your people—their needs, opinions, or wellbeing.
Nutshell?
Being a tyrant actually works in business. It honestly does. BUT, the results are short-lived. Why? When you make people miserable, scared, stressed, or overwhelmed, those people ultimately leave. However, sometimes the best (most-respected) leaders also fail. Why? I hate to say it, but deadlines, progress, and performance isn’t a game of making friends.
Honestly, the best leaders know when they need to be tyrants, and know when they need to be friends. And, it’s not easy to be both. Most people struggle with being both. But, those who figure out the right balance, approach, and demeanor become leadership icons.
What’s the point, and what can you learn?
If you’re a tyrant, you’re not getting the best from your employees. You’re not getting the commitment you’re trying to force. You’re not getting the effort you’re trying to motivate. And, while you may be able to generate short-term results by scaring people, your long-term results (as will your turnover) will suffer. And, you’re NOT hearing the truth.
Here’s the rub—and this kinda makes things a sticky situation. Employees often don’t have the guts to tell tyrants that they’re an awful boss, however, employees who have an amazing leader, also may never share their appreciation either. Why? Because they’ve done such a great job that the employees have nothing to complain about.
So, how do you, as a leader, truly know the difference? If employees aren’t telling you the truth because they’re scared, or employees aren’t saying anything because they have no complaints, how should you know where you land? It’s actually quite simple. Grab a mirror and analyze yourself.
