There has been a shift in leadership from self-focus to leadership that’s about serving and lifting others. Most managers see their role as protectors, striving to be as helpful as possible to their teams.
But what if this extra helpfulness backfires?
As someone who coaches executives, I’ve seen this happen a lot.
It’s easy to spot toxic bosses; however, it’s hard to spot when well-meaning leaders are inadvertently hurting their teams.
This blind spot stems from a lack of awareness of the negative impact of their “helpful” actions.
It becomes even harder to identify when team members do not speak up because they know their boss means well, and they don’t want to hurt their feelings.
Not speaking up in this context is one of the dangers of what we call corporate codependency. People keep quiet to avoid upsetting others, but in the end, it just makes things worse for everyone.
Here are three ways you could be accidentally hurting your team:
First, always wanting everyone to be happy and harmonious. It’s ok not to want to have disagreements, but some bosses will do anything to avoid them. They think it messes up the team’s vibe.
If your goal is to avoid disagreement at all costs, you are stopping your employees from challenging each other.
Then there’s being too protective. Some bosses try to shield their team from problems at work, or worse, solve every problem they see (if this is you, watch out; you are probably constantly overwhelmed by the “I’ve got to fix this” mentality.)
They think they’re being heroes, but really, they’re not helping their team learn and grow.
Instead, they are smothering their employees.
Lastly, helicopter leadership. This happens when you hover over your employees, always watching every move they make, sometimes in an attempt to help.
A couple of months back, I worked with a pharmaceutical leader who meant well but got caught in this trap. He couldn’t resist checking in with his team after every move they made, always asking more questions and offering new suggestions and ideas.
He felt these interactions were harmless, just part of teamwork. But to his team, it felt like a drain on their time and energy, leading to less productivity.
Nobody felt comfortable speaking up since he was the big boss, so they went along with it, quietly feeling less motivated. (Corporate codependency.)
That’s why I refuse to have a one-dimensional view when I work with clients, and I insist on speaking with their direct reports to get the whole scoop.
Being a supportive boss is awesome, and it’s important to watch out for these blind spots that could accidentally make things worse.
With love,
Mari Carmen
