Always on Stage

At this time of year, office holiday parties are under way and an important juncture to remind leaders of something that requires year-round attention. That is, leaders are always on stage and, like with actors, workers are fully engaged in the scrutiny of all behaviors that the leader exhibits.

We have all heard about the disasters that have occurred at office parties. The flirty encounters, the slurring of words and the stumbling over tables. While these may be extreme occurrences, the perils are increased with readily available cell phone videos and photos that can be instantly emailed or posted to social media.

Leaders should never let their guard down. This is especially true during holiday events but also applies to every day of the year. The reason is because leaders need the partnership with workers to meet their joint purpose of achieving the organization's goals. The behaviors displayed by the leader directly weigh on the outcomes of the business.

That is, leaders set the stage and climate of the business and have a strong influence on workers. As stated in previous publications, there is a symbiotic relationship that exists between the leader and worker. It is natural for the worker to want to please the person in charge. As a result, followers watch and sometimes mimic the leader(s). And this is why it is so important for a leader to "walk the talk."

For example, if the leader wants excitement to surround a business goal, he or she needs to be excited. If he/she wants to create an environment where it is safe to debate and disagree, there must be a willingness to accept dissenting opinions. If the leader has mood swings ("Is today an ‘up’ day or a ‘down’ day?"), then workers learn to approach or hide depending on what kind of day it is. It can also signal to supervisors and managers lower in the organization that it is acceptable to be temperamental ("If he can do it, why can't I?"). If leaders want to instill a certain process in the business (e.g. require all projects to follow a formal project process), he/she must also use that process. If a leader wants and desires members to take more risks, he/she should be prepared to accept an increased level of mistakes.

Remaining diligent about one's behavior (i.e. always being on stage) is very difficult. However, without constant attention, consequences can increase when the leader falters. Consider the leader who declares that his team needs more arguments about how to handle presenting business problems. It is common in business to avoid conflict and direct confrontation.  However, this inclination elevates the concern that decisions may be made without proper vetting.  Groups need to avoid satisficing, that is, the acceptance of an early answer to a problem because it fits, rather than taking the additional exploratory steps to identify a better solution.¹ Unfortunately, allowing debate can only work if the leader is willing to accept some confrontation. Thus, if the leader responds negatively when his/her ideas are challenged, workers may not view the "argument demand" as legitimate; workers may take this to mean that constructive debate only applies if the leader is not involved. 

Another example is the leader who emphasizes the importance of expense reductions, declares the elimination of several jobs, while simultaneously holding a senior meeting across the country at a golf resort. In a reality TV show, he/she would be voted off the island. In business, he/she figuratively might be thrown off the island by creating the conditions for a reduction in morale and motivation – thus payback equals a decrease in productivity, satisfaction and organizational citizenship.

Sometimes leaders take on an elitist attitude proclaiming, "I am in charge and therefore I can do what I want," even if contrary to the edicts given to everyone else. An example is the leader who requires a full productive day, while he or she shows up late and leaves early. Alternatively, the leader who does not allow personal activities at work, but feels it is OK for him/her to order clothing from a company computer on company time.

It is difficult for a human being to be diligent about what they are doing and how they are coming across at all times. Fortunately, there is some leeway if a leader can remain diligent and consistent most of the time. Hollander suggests that when leaders build up "positive" credits such as showing consistency while exhibiting respect and concern for workers, it can be used when there are behavioral falters.² In other words, leaders can build up a reservoir of goodwill that can be tapped when the occasional "bad mood" happens. The followers are more likely to forgive if the "account" has a positive balance.

Since leaders need worker partners to achieve business goals, the leader must behave in ways that increase the level of goodwill attributed to his/her leadership. In doing so, the leader is allowed some forgiveness for mistakes. This can be achieved by behaving consistently and in alignment with the needs of the business and "walking the talk." Being aware that everything he or she does is observed and responded to in some way is vital to the leader's success – the important question to ask is what messages are being received. Circling back to the office party, if the leader wants professional behavior, he or she must do the same.

Feel free to make comments.

The Tri-Delta Leadership Blog will not be published on December 24 or 31 due to the holidays. The next publication will be on Jan. 7, 2013. Happy New Year!

References

¹ Robbins, S., & Judge, T. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education.

² Hollander, E.P. (1997). How and Why Active Followers Matter in Leadership. In E.P. Hollander & L.R. Offermann (Eds.), The Balance of Leadership and Followership (pp. 11-28): University of Maryland.