I inherently trust most people and can quickly distrust others. Why? For the same reasons as you. To avoid something terrible from happening. Deciding whether to trust someone or not is an essential life skill. Putting faith in the wrong someone or something is costly. Increasingly, leaders face the challenge of overcoming an inherent distrust in leadership. A recent global trust study discovered that less than one in three people are willing to help those with whom they disagree. Only 20% are willing to work with those they disagree with. Being trustworthy is a life-changing leadership habit. Evidence suggests that distrust tends to be for the same reasons when it exists. That is actually good news for leaders. It means diagnosing and fixing many of the trust challenges you face is relatively simple. Here are the four common leadership trust killers, plus the fixes to build trust. Why trust matters Trust is the currency of business relationships, and an absence of trust can bankrupt the organization and its employees. At an individual level, a lack of trust contributes to feelings of: Frustration Rejection Stress Anxiety Depression When we experience feelings of distrust, our body responds immediately at a bio-chemical level within less than a second. Cortisol, catecholamine, testosterone, and norepinephrine levels in our blood increase rapidly. This chemical cocktail triggers a wave of emotions, producing feelings of stress, aggression, and a need for fight or flight. In conversations, when experiencing a sense of trust, our body produces a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is also known as the "love hormone." It is oxytocin that increases feelings of well-being. Feelings of trust and distrust influence thoughts and feelings at a chemical level, which shape our beliefs and ultimately drive behaviors and actions in conversations (see Figure 1). An absence of trust or the presence of distrust at the organizational level undermines the business's goals and interests and the engagement and organizational commitment of employees. When leaders in an organization are unable to trust, the organization is less likely to innovate and take risks, holding back the organization's performance and productivity. Trust Killer #1: Lack of Credibility Credibility is the most frequently achieved attribute of trustworthiness. It has rational and emotional aspects of an individual's expertise and presence. Daily actions and routines can either create or destroy credibility. As a leader ascends within an organization, the distance from the frontline increases, threatening the leader's credibility about the work. A common threat for leaders, especially those in executive positions, is a desire to move too quickly. When leaders make decisions without listening or think a paycheck is enough of a thank you, it diminishes leadership credibility. Admitting what you don't know, being curious about the business, saying thank you, and being empathetic and cooperative are ways to build credibility. Trust Killer #2: Lack of Reliability Reliability is an unwritten expectation of leaders. Reliability is based on the frequency of interactions with someone and the consistency of expected behavior. Leaders who say they will do something but fail to follow through or do something different are perceived as unreliable. For example, leaders who discuss the importance of following procedures in one meeting and then critique followers in the following meeting for not taking innovative approaches to solving problems are considered unreliable. Poor communication , a lack of follow-through, chasing every shiny object, inability to say no, or being unpredictable diminish leadership reliability. Likewise, when what is said is done, clear priorities are established, and leaders show up authentically, creating reliability. Trust Killer #3: Lack of Transparency Transparency requires a personal willingness to have difficult conversations. This is one of the key differentiating attributes of trustworthiness. W hen leaders lack transparency, it fuels suspicion and rumors in the workplace. A lack of transparency increases misinterpretations, causing misunderstanding, distrust, follower uncertainty, and anxiety. Being guarded, telling a 'white lie,' sharing too much, and being manipulative create a lack of transparency. A lack of transparency can come from a leader's failure to act or, worse, their intentional actions. When leaders purposefully withhold information to manipulate a situation, it creates a toxic culture and is a sign of a dark personality type called Machiavellianism . Being open, honest with the good and the bad, sharing timeline-relevant information, and serving followers are practical ways for leaders to be transparent. Trust Killer #4: Lack of Humility Humility relates to the amount of focus placed on oneself versus the emphasis placed on the other person. A high degree of self-orientation creates significant distrust from others. An absence of humility is often considered narcissism , characterized by a highly self-involved personality and a fragile ego susceptible to the faintest criticism. When leaders have an inflated self-view, believe they are superior, prefer personal recognition, or reject negative feedback, they diminish trust. Likewise, when leaders have an honest self-view, believe in the team's greater good, prefer shared recognition, and view critical feedback as a path to a better future, they are perceived as humble and enhancing trust. How to measure your relationship trust Everyone can benefit from reflecting on the essential attributes of trust. Measuring your trustworthiness provides helpful, structured insights that can improve your personal and professional success and significance. Assigning values to each of the four attributes of trust and placing them into the following trust equation allows for a personal measurement of your relationship's trustworthiness. Trustworthiness = (Credibility + Reliability + Transparency) / Humility Below is a short quiz you can use to assess the trust level of any of your relationships. As you take the quiz, your relationship trust index is calculated. You can use this score to gauge your level of trust in your relationship. What's the real leadership trust challenge for you? References Brender-Ilan, Y., & Sheaffer, Z. (2019). How do self-efficacy, narcissism, and autonomy mediate the link between destructive leadership and counterproductive work behavior. Asia Pacific Management Review, 24(3), 212-222. Bono, J., & Ilies, R. (2006). Charisma, positive emotions, and mood contagion. The Leadership Quarterly, 17 (4), pp. 317-334. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Edelman. (2023). Edelman trust barometer: Navigating a polarized world. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity . Free Press. Maister, D. H., Green, C. H., & Galford, R. M. (2000). The trusted advisor . Free Press. Men, R. & Bowen, S. (2016). Excellence in internal communication management. Business Expert Press. Nevicka, B., Ten Velden, F., De Hoogh, A., & Van Vianen, A. (2011). Reality at odds with perceptions: Narcissistic leaders and group performance. Psychological Science. 22(10):1259-1264.

A lot of businesses are experiencing a leadership shortage. CEOs need a strong leadership pipeline to thrive, but it's not easy to build. In fact, perceptions of leadership effectiveness and readiness often differ between executives and the frontline. The added risk and costs that result from this misalignment are cringeworthy. Whether due to unclear expectations or a lack of talent visibility across the organization, a disparity of perceptions is dangerous. Leadership development investments don't have to be a big gamble. You need to understand the challenges leaders face, what it takes for leaders to be successful, and use a high-quality systemic approach. Here are a few proven ways to do just that. Why You Need a Strong Leadership Pipeline? Leading in a fast-paced and crisis-driven market is no easy feat. Today's senior leaders are concerned about the quality of their leaders and the complexity of the new challenges they are facing. It turns out that these concerns are justified. Alarming data from a new global study reveals that only 14% of leaders across all levels indicate they are confident with hiring decisions. Also, only 11% of CEOs rate their organization as having a strong bench of ready-now leaders. Having the right leadership in the right place at the right time is vital to navigating the volatility and uncertainty in the marketplace. Good leadership can make a success out of a weak plan, and ineffective leadership can destroy a business with a great strategic plan. Great leaders achieve great results. A review of the published research reveals that leadership effectiveness makes a difference in the leader's life, those they lead, business performance, and communities. The best organizations are made up of the best leaders. In a controlled study involving leaders across different industries, researchers found a significant link between the leader's effectiveness and employee retention, sales, margin, labor costs, and net profit. How Can You Identify the Right Leadership? A critical first step toward building a strong leadership pipeline is to bring clarity to the confusion of leadership effectiveness and readiness perceptions. While defining rating scales for performance and potential are helpful to gaining consistency, alone, they are not sufficient. Fair and robust talent calibration meetings present a meaningful solution for identifying the right leadership. These meetings create an intentional space for leaders to discuss and align on the performance and potential of the talent in the leadership pipeline. A talent calibration meeting is to review, assess, adjust, and agree upon a direct report's performance and potential within the organization and make development decisions. In large companies, these annual meetings typically involve the direct reports manager, the peers of the manager, the manager's leader, and a human resources business partner. To resolve any existing misalignment and get the most value from a talent calibration meeting, leaders need to come prepared, resolve existing disparities in perceptions, and create psychological safety to discuss critical feedback. Preparation: Ahead of the meeting, all leaders involved should solicit feedback and reflect on specific examples that support their point of view on a leader's performance, potential, and readiness to advance that is being reviewed. Everyone in the meeting should bring evidence to support their perspective. The leader of the direct report being reviewed should also identify the areas where the leader being reviewed should continue to develop. Organizational Commitment : A critical factor that separates a successful talent calibration meeting from a waste of time is the shared will to have the robust discussion needed. If the conversation is fair and transparent, there will likely be productive conflict at times. The commitment of those in the meeting will determine the quality of the meeting. Before the meeting, it is helpful to discuss the purpose of the talent calibration meeting and why each person is being invited. Don't assume everyone knows. Psychological Safety: Research has repeatedly suggested that businesses benefit from a diversity of thought. However, when meeting participants don't feel comfortable speaking up to share concerns or an alternate point of view, the quality of the discussion is minimized. Establish meeting ground rules before you get started. You want participants to know that silence is not golden and productive conflict is encouraged. How you position the meeting and what you say is essential, but how the team responds to the constructive conflict will determine if there is safety. How Can You Accelerate Leadership Development? Having a strong leadership pipeline is a talent magnet and competitive advantage. High-quality investments in leadership development motivate leaders, create a strong culture , and increase organizational commitment. Many leadership development programs are missing the mark because they are event-driven. Leaders attend a workshop or conference and return to the workplace with little to show for their time out of the office. Leadership development is best viewed as a system and not an event. You can accelerate talent development by rethinking your approach. Aligning the leader and organizational development readiness with high-quality coaching improves development outcomes. Whether you think you can do a thing or not, you are right. ~Henry Ford Development Readiness Development readiness refers to the individual's and organization's ability, orientation, and motivation to develop. Leaders who want to learn and can focus on learning tend to view obstacles and challenges to their learning as the path to improvement. Organizations with a learning culture encourage leaders to seek new knowledge and apply new skills to improve continually. A personal development readiness example. I love to SCUBA dive. If you offered the best free workshop on ancient literature, I wouldn't want to attend. I probably could learn something and might have a good time. But, if you offered a class on SCUBA diving, I likely would learn and enjoy it more. My development readiness in this example is more positively aligned with the SCUBA class. If you know, I need to learn about ancient literature . It will improve the learning outcomes of the class by working on my development readiness ahead of signing me up to attend. Too often, with good intentions, leadership development programs get rolled out without considering development readiness. The good news is that you can positively affect development readiness and accelerate leadership development. A great way to get started is by asking your leaders in your next one-to-one meeting to identify where there are opportunities to improve. The following categories can be used to guide the conversation and learn about their leadership development perceptions and experiences: Assigning and providing opportunities to learn Tolerating mistakes as a part of learning Having high-performance expectations and accountability Setting policies and practices that support leadership development Leadership supports new ideas Awareness of how leadership responsibilities fit into the big picture Knowledge, skills, and abilities to lead If leadership development is viewed positively High-Quality Coaching Deploying high-quality internal or external coaching extends development beyond the typical event-driven program that is often too narrowly focused on developing specific leadership skills. Coaching is a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires leaders to maximize their personal and professional potential. The coaching process unlocks sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership ability. Current evidence-based research supports various psychological approaches to coaching. The GROW model is a popular approach. Given the ultimate goal of coaching is related to change within you, the model centers on using essential questions and client-centered critical thinking to invoke self-awareness and personal responsibility. To make the best decision between internal and external coaching approaches, you will want to weigh the time, cost, and quality advantages and disadvantages. Some of the reasons why companies use external coaching are: External coach specialization and experience Lack of internal politics, conflicts, and competing priorities Enhanced confidentiality and the ability to work on sensitive issues Diverse perspectives of the coach Internal coaching is often more cost-effective, but scalability can be a severe challenge for most companies. A 2019 study by Gartner revealed that 45% of leaders across all levels lack the confidence needed to coach direct reports. Leaders in the study indicated that they weren't confident in their coaching skills and lacked the required time. Conclusion: Identifying and Accelerating the Right Leadership Amidst the great resignation, identifying and accelerating the right leadership is a huge competitive advantage. Failing to address the misalignment of leadership perceptions between executives and the frontline and the use of event-driven approaches are barriers to building a strong leadership pipeline. Working through misalignment that often exists across all levels of leaders requires a willingness to engage in productive conflict. A massive opportunity for accelerating leadership development is achieved by leveraging high-quality coaching aligned with organizational and leader's developmental readiness. What's the real challenge you face with building a strong leadership pipeline? References: Avolio, B. J., & Hannah, S. T. (2008). Developmental readiness: Accelerating leader development. Consulting Psychology Journal, 60(4), 331-347. Gartner. (2019). Gartner says 45% of managers lack confidence to help employees develop the skills they need today. Gurdjan, P., Haibeisen, T., & Lane, K. (2022). Why leadership development programs fail. McKinsey & Co. Korn Ferry. (2022). The leadership shortage. Rhyne, R. & Neal, S. (2021). Top CEO challenges 2021: 4 key trends in leadership. DDI. International Coaching Federation. (2022). What is coaching?

Without selfless love in the workplace, achieving the best of what might be is impossible. Stop and think about the implications of that statement for a moment. There is no serious debate that well-designed organizations with clear organizational strategies influence desired behaviors, culture, and performance. Numerous studies identify failure as often tied to misalignment between the organization and its operational environment. However, while organizational alignment is essential, it is also not sufficient. Selfless love brings out the best in how people think, act, and feel. If you want to start embracing selfless love as a leader in the workplace, you’ll need to start tapping into these four keys today. The benefits of selfless love in the workplace The well-documented individual and organizational benefits of selfless love include: Intrinsic motivation Increased creativity Discretionary effort Better workplace climate Enhanced employee capacity Enhanced leader-follower alignment Two complex challenges leaders face today are attracting and retaining top talent and creating inclusive workplaces that bring out the best in all employees. Diversity in the world and the workplace is increasing. Globalization and technological advances are projected to continue to increase workgroup diversity. This increase in diversity can have many positive workplace effects, such as enhanced performance, creativity, innovation , and decision quality. However, workplace practices rooted in favoritism are costly, leading to increased relational conflict and a lack of team cohesion. In-group favoritism results in actions that favor one group. When leaders demonstrate selfless love, they cultivate an organizational culture in which healthy and caring leader-follower relationships reduce the adverse effects of in-group and out-group differences. All you have to do is drive down any street or walk through your local retail district to see the signs for help wanted and understand the challenge of attracting and retaining the best and brightest employees. Organizational commitment is a term for identifying as an individual with a particular company. Evidence suggests that higher levels of organizational commitment are associated with lower employee turnover rates. Studies have demonstrated that selfless love enhances organizational commitment. The following short video from leadership guru Ken Blanchard provides some thoughts on the power of servant leadership in today's workplace. What is selfless love? Selflessness is being more concerned with the needs and desires of others than with your needs. And one of the best definitions I have come across for love in the workplace comes from St. Thomas Aquinas. "To love is to will the good of the other." St. Thomas Aquinas Selfless love in the workplace is to desire and put into action the will for the good of another ahead of your own interest . It is a radically different paradigm from a transactional worldview of the workplace. If you have nine minutes, the following video captures the essence of the meaning behind the definition used by St. Thomas Aquinas. Although the video does not use a workplace example, the intent of willing the good of the other is shown. The following poem, called "Outwitted" by Edwin Markha,m captures the belief that selfless love creates a radical sense of belonging for everyone: He drew a circle that shut me out—Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in! Are empathy and compassion different from selfless love? Empathy, compassion, and selfless love are interrelated, but distinct differences exist. Empathy is the ability to be aware of, feel, and take on the emotions of another person. It plays a vital role in moderating the effects of workplace conflict. Research has linked empathy with forgiveness and healing relationships. The following is a short video from Brene Brown that explains empathy and its value within the workplace. Compassion is an empathic understanding with a desire to help another person. Recent studies into the benefits of compassion at work link it to improved job performance, mental health, and leader-follower relationships. Although awareness (empathy) and a desire to help (compassion) are essential, the world needs leaders who prioritize the good of others over their own interests. Leaders who emphasize selfless love bring out the best in how people think, act, and feel in the workplace, leading to success and significance both personally and professionally. Tapping into selfless love Selfless love is not just something you are either born with or not. You can apply these four keys to cultivate selfless love in the workplace. Key #1: Measurement Selfless love is not just something you are either born with or not. Selfless love may seem complex and challenging to articulate, much less measure; however, validated measurement instruments exist. Muel Kaptein introduced and validated the Corporate Ethical Virtues Mode l, which measures virtues at the organizational level. Vincent Ng and colleagues expanded on the Comprehensive Inventory of Virtuous Instantiations of Character instrument by creating a valid multidimensional forced-choice individual character instrument. The Leadership Character Insights Assessment measures an individual's character through self-assessment or 360-degree assessment using behavioral anchors. The Values In Action (VIA) Survey is a free, 15-minute self-assessment that helps discover your greatest strengths. Key #2: Development Like leadership behaviors, selfless love can be developed. Evidence suggests that development specific to selfless love should include knowledge transfer, reasoning, and practice elements. Development primarily takes place through role modeling with intentional time for feedback. However, feedback on character gaps is not commonly provided in the workplace, given the complexity of these conversations. Evidence suggests that organizations can incorporate selfless love development into competency development programs. Separate programs focused only on character and virtue development are not required. Key #3: Reflection Most leaders spend little to no time reflecting on character experiences because of blind spots. A dedicated and skillful executive coach can improve character feedback and purposeful character reflection. Numerous studies have found that dedicated mentors can also support character development by openly reflecting on insights gained from their experience. Key #4: Leadership Style Servant leadership characteristics are practical ways for a leader to bring selfless love into the workplace : Listening to oneself and others Showing empathy Healing self and others Being aware Persuasion and not coercion Conceptual thinking, not linear thinking Applying strategic foresight Stewardship of others' needs Commitment to the development of others Building community Conversely, a traditional transactional leadership style adopts a top-down view of an organization with the leader at the top. Transactional leadership is based on the belief that employees perform best: Within a well-formed chain of command Rewards and punishments motivate Following the leader's directives is the employee's primary goal Transactional leaders give employees something they want in exchange for getting something they want. This leadership style adopts a mental model that workers are not self-motivated and require structure, instruction, and monitoring to achieve organizational goals correctly and on time. In stark contrast, when adopting a selfless love worldview, the leader desires to bring out the best in their followers by giving them the best of themself. A servant leadership style aligns well with selfless love. Are you a servant leader? Maybe you already understand the basic concepts but are unclear on how servant leadership differs from other contemporary leadership styles. The free Servant Leadership Style Checker answers these questions and provides your Servant Leadership Style Score. Take this free quiz to find out. Key Points: Selfless love in the workplace is to desire and put into action the will for the good of another ahead of your interests. When leaders demonstrate selfless love, they establish an organizational culture where healthy and caring leader-follower relationships break down the adverse effects of in-group and out-group differences. Selfless love enhances organizational commitment, productivity, job performance, and emotional well-being. Leaders who emphasize selfless love bring out the best in how people think, act, and feel in the workplace, leading to success and significance both personally and professionally. To gain a competitive advantage in an uncertain world, leadership needs to move beyond cultivating organizational strategy, design, and behaviors to include selfless love. References: Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting . Ferris, R. (1988). How organizational love can improve leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 16 (4), 41-51. Fry, L. W., Vitucci, S., & Cedillo, M. (2005). Spiritual leadership and army transformation: Theory, measurement, and establishing a baseline. The Leadership Quarterly, 16 (5), 835-862. Kaptein, M. (2008). Developing and testing a measure for the ethical culture of organizations: The corporate ethical virtues model. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29 (7), 923-947. Lok, P., & Crawford, J. (2004). The effect of organisational culture and leadership style on job satisfaction and organisational commitment: A cross‐national comparison. The Journal of Management Development, 23 (4), 321-338. Mulinge, P. (2018). Altruism and altruistic love: Intrinsic motivation for servant-leadership. The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 12 (1), 337-370. Ng, V., Lee, P., Ho, M. R., Kuykendall, L., Stark, S., & Tay, L. (2020). The development and validation of a multidimensional forced-choice format character measure: Testing the Thurstonian IRT approach. Journal of Personality Assessment, 1-14. Ran, Y., Liu, Q., Cheng, Q., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Implicit-explicit power motives congruence and forgiveness in the workplace conflict: The mediating role of empathy. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 32 (3), 445-468. Seijts, G., Crossan, M., & Carleton, E. (2017). Embedding leader character into HR practices to achieve sustained excellence. Organizational Dynamics, 46 (1), 30-39. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.02.001 Van Knippenberg, D., De Dreu, Carsten K. W, & Homan, A. C. (2004). Work group diversity and group performance: An integrative model and research agenda. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89 (6), 1008-1022. Zachary, G. W. (2013). Spiritual leadership: Investigating the effects of altruistic love on organizational commitment. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 6 (2), 767.

Widespread inequities exist in the United States based on race, sex, language, and other factors. Racism, classism, and sexism create environments where marginalized members of society are denied freedom from favoritism and bias . In-group favoritism and out-group bias lead to discrimination and a lack of diversity in organizations. This discrimination results from failure, one person at a time, one action at a time failure . Are the diversity and equity challenges in society a leadership responsibility? If so, how can leaders respond? Society's Diversity and Equity Challenge - Then and Now Fifty-two years ago, in 1968, civil unrest in the United States increased in what was labeled " Holy Week " due to Dr. Martin Luther King, JR's assassination. The Holy Week riots across 54 cities resulted in 43 men and women killed, approximately 3,500 people injured, and 27,000 arrests. At the time, it was the most significant wave of social unrest since the Civil War. Fast-forward to today. Between May and August 2020, there were 10,600 demonstration events and 570 riots or protests involving violence in the United States (see Figure 1). History has proven that riots are typically carried out by marginalized people to bring attention to societal problems. Note: Figure 1 adapted from Kishi, R. & Jones, S. (2020) Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Riots produce damage and anguish in affected communities. In 2004 the National Bureau of Economic Research examined the effect of the Holy Week riots. The bureau concluded the riots created lasting economic harm such as increased insurance premiums, increased police and fire protection costs, reduced availability of municipal bonds, closed retail operations, and a reduced tax base due to the departure of middle to high-income families from areas hardest hit by the riots. Leadership Responsibility Where does a leader's responsibility start and stop? Boundaries and role clarity are essential for leaders. Responsibility is a belief that you are the person to make things happen either because of your job or a drive within that compels you. The diversity business case is clear, including increased innovation, better decision making, increased talent pools, and establishing a broader customer base. The CEOs of 200 leading US organizations are taking responsibility for equity and diversity and promise to drive change in six key areas - employment, finance, education, health, housing, and criminal justice. However, creating better social, political, education, and economic systems alone will not produce healthy and safe communities free of inequities without leadership. How leaders approach leading others and the priorities they set determines if equity and diversity investments are realized. Leadership Style Matters Leadership scholars agree that the world desperately needs a new approach to leadership. People desire leaders that listen, demonstrate empathy, healing, persuasion, foresight, develop others, and build communities. These characteristics align with the servant leadership style and this kind of leader is counter to historical views on leadership through power. A servant leadership style produces healthy communities by serving others' needs. In describing the best test of a servant leader, Greenleaf presents an approach to leadership that provides alignment with what people desire and society needs. According to Greenleaf and Spears, the best test to identify a servant leader is if "those served grow as persons; become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants," and if the least privileged in society benefit. Leadership Priorities Based on research, the moderating factor on realized diversity benefits is a shared organizational view of value-in-diversity. Boards and CEOs establish the corporate view of diversity and equity through their actions rather than their words. It's not the policies created or the talking point communications provided, but the talent pool diversity makeup and conversations with leaders that establish the organization’s view on diversity value. Unfortunately, too often, an organization's walk does not match its talk. When compensation scorecards are so complex that leaders concede in private that it is impossible to achieve every goal, then the priority of diversity and equity is not clearly communicated. Priorities matter. Adopting a servant leadership approach prioritizes others and creates healthy communities by serving others first and leading second. Society's diversity and equity challenges and needs will not be met by one leader or organization . However, leaders can make a difference by adopting a servant leadership style and establishing an organizational view of diversity value. To learn more about the servant leadership style check out this related article and for help with creating a culture of diversity and equity contact us . "Anyone can be great because anyone can be a servant." Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. References Blanchard, K., & Broadwell, R. (2018). Servant leadership in action (1st ed.) Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Cox, T. (1993). Cultural diversity in organizations: Theory, research & practice (1st ed.). San Francisco, Calif: Berrett-Koehler. Greenleaf, R. (2008) The servant as leader. The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Greenleaf, R. K., & Spears, L. C. (2002). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness (25th anniversary ed.). Paulist Press. Greenwald, A. G., & Pettigrew, T. F. (2014). With malice toward none and charity for some: Ingroup favoritism enables discrimination. The American Psychologist, 69 (7), 669-684. doi:10.1037/a0036056 Guillaume, Y. R. F., Dawson, J. F., Otaye-Ebede, L., Woods, S. A., & West, M. A. (2017). Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace diversity? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38 (2), 276-303. doi:10.1002/job.2040 Holdo, M., & Bengtsson, B. (2019). Marginalization and riots: A rationalistic explanation of urban unrest. Housing, Theory, and Society, , 1-18. doi:10.1080/14036096.2019.1578996 Kishi, R. & Jones, S. (2020). Demonstrations and political violence in America: New data for summer 2020 . Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Marina, B. L. H., & Fonteneau, D. Y. (2012). Servant leaders who picked up the broken glass. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 5 (2), 67-83. Sendjaya, S., & Pekerti, A. (2010). Servant leadership as antecedent of trust in organizations. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31 (7), 643-663. doi:10.1108/01437731011079673 Sivashanker, K., & Gandhi, T. K. (2020). Advancing safety and equity together. The New England Journal of Medicine, 382 (4), 301-303. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1911700 Spears, L. C. (1998). Servant-leadership. Executive Excellence, 15 (7), 11. Trompenaars, A., & Voerman, E. (2010). Servant-leadership across cultures: Harnessing the strength of the world's most powerful management philosophy . McGraw-Hill. Are you interested in better understanding your own leadership style? Contact Organizational Talent Consulting to learn more about a leadership style inventory assessment you can use to measure your preferred leadership style and receive individualized executive coaching.

Identifying and anticipating the unknown creates a competitive advantage when aligned with organizational change capability. Growing revenue amid uncertainty amplifies the need for organizations to make data-driven decisions. This past year, every organization's ability to respond to significant disruption was tested. A recent study on the economic impacts of COVID-19 found that small businesses were among the hardest hit. More than a third of small businesses in the United States' leisure and hospitality sector reported no financial transaction data for January-September 2020. Organizational Change Resilience is "the ability to respond productively to significant disruptive change and transform challenges into opportunities" (Witmer et al., 2016). A scientific study of 101 companies revealed that big data holds a key for helping organizations detect and respond to disruption. Descriptive data analytics improve sensing, and predictive data analytics enhance a company's ability to change and seize new opportunities. Descriptive Data Analytics: The interpretation of historical data to understand better changes in a business. Examples include social media usage and engagement, organizing survey results, and operational efficiency data trends. Predictive Data Analytics: uses historical data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning to identify the likelihood of future outcomes. Examples include predicting customer preferences based on past purchasing behaviors, predicting employee retention flight risk based on assessment data, and predicting workforce staffing levels based on seasonal trends. One theme with organizations that remain resilient amid change is sharing data with decision-makers openly. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on the principles and attributes of organizational resilience ( ISO 22316:2017 ), knowledge and information need to be: accessible, understandable, and adequate to support the organization's objectives; effectively shared to enable decision-making; recognized as a critical resource of the organization; created, retained, and applied through established systems and processes; shared in a timely manner with all relevant interested parties; applied in organizational learning. Although not easy to implement, data analytics investments provide competitive advantages by using data to foster growth and improve decision making. Organizational Culture An organization's ability to improve its organizational change resilience and data analytic decision making is connected to its culture. Organizational culture is "the basic tacit assumptions about how the world is and ought to be that a group of people share and that determines their perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and their overt behavior" (Schein, 2017). Organizations need to consider the role of people, processes, and company culture adoption and utilization when making investments into data analytics. Culture mediates analytical knowledge and big data analytics capability on firm performance. "Culture is more powerful than anything else in the organization," and often why good management ideas fail (Schneider, 2000). Often two cultural myths get in the way of companies advancing data analytics: Myth #1: Data is unique within a given company Myth #2: The application of statistical tools is unique to each company These myths contribute to analytical solutions in one company being ignored by another. In reality, cross-industry experience creates an advantage when it comes to data analytics. In reality, companies usually have more than enough industry-specific knowledge and underestimate the value of organizational talent analytic capability . We can partner with you to develop a customized solution to transform your organizational culture and build a more change resilient organization. Walk with us and build increased organizational resilience and a culture that fits the future of the business you need. Contact us to get started today. References: Bartlett, R. (2013). A practitioner's guide to data analytics : Using data analysis to improve your organization's decision making and strategy . McGraw-Hill. New York. Chetty, R., Friedman, J Hendren, N., Stepner, M., & Opportunity Insights Team (2020). The Economic Impacts of COVID-19: Evidence from a New Public Database Built Using Private Sector Data [PDF]. Ji-fan Ren, S., Fosso Wamba, S., Akter, S., Dubey, R., & Childe, S. J. (2017). Modeling quality dynamics, business value, and firm performance in a big data analytics environment. International Journal of Production Research, 55 (17), 5011-5026. doi:10.1080/00207543.2016.1154209 Schein, E. H. (2017). Organizational culture and leadership (5th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Schneider, W. E. (2000). Why good management ideas fail. Strategy & Leadership, 28 (1), 24-29. doi:10.1108/10878570010336001 Upadhyay, P., & Kumar, A. (2020). The intermediating role of organizational culture and internal analytical knowledge between the capability of big data analytics and a firm’s performance. International Journal of Information Management, 52 , 102100. doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102100 van Rijmenam, M., Erekhinskaya, T., Schweitzer, J., & Williams, M. (2019). Avoid being the turkey: How big data analytics changes the game of strategy in times of ambiguity and uncertainty. Long Range Planning, 52 (5), 101841. doi:10.1016/j.lrp.2018.05.007 Witmer, H., Mellinger, M. S., Faculty of Culture and Society, Urban Studies (US), Malmö University, & Centre for Work-Life and Evaluation Studies (CTA). (2016). Organizational resilience: Nonprofit organizations' response to change. Work (Reading, Mass.), 54 (2), 255-265. doi:10.3233/WOR-162303 Upcoming Webinar Series We know you are going to love these complementary leadership and professional development events! Organizational Talent Consulting’s webinar content is developed to help leaders meet today's complex workforce and digital challenges. Our free live webinars deliver superior leadership development based on the latest research with no travel costs. Participants interact directly in question-and-answer discussions with subject matter experts and authors on crucial topics to enhance expertise. Webinars are recorded and shared with participants for convenient on-demand access after the live event. Topics include leadership, strategic planning, coaching, change management, and more ( register and learn more ).

Ambiguity is no longer an occasional condition of work; it is now embedded in how most organizations operate. Yet the greatest risk is not uncertainty itself, but the persistence of ambiguity in roles, priorities, and decision-making authority. When expectations are unclear, organizations do not simply slow down—they fragment. Accountability diffuses, priorities diverge, and effort increases without corresponding impact. Role ambiguity is one of the most preventable sources of organizational strain. When individuals are unclear about what they own, how success is evaluated, or whose decisions take precedence, stress rises, and performance degrades. Whether being asked to do more with less or reporting to a new leader, when employees feel unsure how to prioritize their work, it increases stress. Evidence from a global study by Gallup revealed that 49% of leaders and 42% of non-managers are struggling with anxiety at work.  This is not a resilience failure on the part of employees; it is an architectural failure in how work is designed and governed. Without a reliable mechanism for clarifying roles and responsibilities, ambiguity compounds quietly, increasing execution risk and avoidable error across the business. The costly effects of not dealing with workplace ambiguity As the world changes, businesses and individuals must change too. Organizational change s increase the opportunity for role ambiguity and workplace stress. Role ambiguity is described as one employee's understanding of their job or organizational objectives being different from another's, leading to an unproductive workplace conflict or wasted efforts. Poor communications, unclear policies, or a general lack of workplace relationships are typical sources of role ambiguity. Several studies have demonstrated that role ambiguity has significant negative personal and workplace results. One such study within the Big Four Public Accounting Firms showed that organizational role ambiguity led to: decreased performance increased work stress increased employee turnover In this study, role ambiguity significantly increased anxiety and physical and psychological stress at an individual level. Role ambiguity increases non-productive conflict and employee burnout even when a team has good working relationships. How to deal with ambiguity A RACI matrix is a simple and powerful tool for effectively dealing with role ambiguity. I have used this tool at the organization, team, and individual levels, enhancing role clarity, improved workload balance, and improved decision-making. RACI is an acronym for responsible, accountable, consult with, and informed. Each letter represents the roles and degree of involvement for a given organizational role or task: R esponsible: Who is ultimately responsible for doing the task? A ccountable: Who is the decision-maker accountable for ensuring that the job is successfully completed? C onsult with: Who needs to know the details and requirements so they can provide meaningful input to the task I nformed: Who needs to be kept aware of task updates? An essential part of organizational consulting is helping individuals and teams gain clarity during change and dealing with role ambiguity created by the changes. Applying a RACI template to a given change initiative is not intended to replace a robust change management plan. Instead, this tool raises awareness and understanding to support change. 4 Steps to create a powerful RACI Matrix Here are four steps to creating a RACI matrix for dealing with role ambiguity. RACI Creation Step 1: Select a team As with most initiatives, selecting the right team members to be involved is essential to creating the most value. A critical quality step is to engage those closest to the work in creating the RACI. Additionally, you will want to include the manager and potentially the executive sponsor for the role. RACI Creation Step 2: Identify tasks associated with the target role Start with a high-level outline. A job description can be a good starting point. Then, go back and break down the tasks into subtasks. For example, you could argue that an essential task for a knowledge worker is to turn on their computer. However, is it worthwhile to clarify who is responsible for this activity? This likely goes without saying. Getting too granular too early in creating the RACI can paralyze the team and overcomplicate the work. RACI Creation Step 3: Align groups and individuals with RACI designations Review each task and identify the individual or group associated with each RACI designation. At this step, there will likely be differences of opinion. It is crucial to surface these differences and pursue consensus. A common cause of the differences can come from differences of opinion on what is meant by definitions such as responsible vs. accountable. To help the team work through the differences, it is a good practice to write down the definitions and have them available to the team. RACI Creation Step 4: Walk the matrix After you create the RACI matrix, it is helpful to have those involved simulate a task and confirm with each responsible group that their level of involvement is appropriate and that no groups or essential details were left out. It is easy to forget tasks when building these in a meeting. It's like taking the same route to work every day and forgetting the railroad tracks or stoplights you pass. When conflict is associated with ambiguity, consider using an external facilitator. Establishing trust and clarifying expectations are essential starting points for achieving a valuable outcome. The following short video provides a good overview and example of using a RACI matrix. RACI Matrix example I am a fan of the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian. In the table below, I have used some key season one episode events to explain the RACI Matrix. "This is the way." Role ambiguity rarely resolves itself. Left unaddressed, it becomes embedded in how decisions are made, how work is prioritized, and how accountability is avoided. Over time, leaders compensate for the lack of clarity through personal effort, informal influence, or escalation—none of which scale. The practical question for senior leaders is not whether ambiguity exists, but where it is no longer acceptable. That requires making role expectations, decision rights, and ownership explicit—especially during periods of change. If ambiguity is showing up as repeated friction, stalled decisions, or uneven execution, it is time to examine the underlying design of roles and authority. Clarifying these conditions is a leadership act. Addressing them deliberately is how organizations restore coherence and reduce unnecessary strain. References: Amiruddin, A. (2019). The mediating effect of work stress on the influence of time pressure, work-family conflict, and role ambiguity on audit quality reduction behavior. International Journal of Law and Management, 61(2), 434-454. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. McCormak, N. (2013). Managing burnout in the workplace: A guide for information professionals. Science Direct. Chandos Publishing. Wigert, B., & Pendell, R. (2023). 6 Trends Leaders Need to Navigate This Year. Gallup Workplace.

Uncertainty doesn’t just test leaders—it exposes them. It reveals whether espoused values are operationalized or merely aspirational. And right now, most organizations are struggling to withstand the pressure. Gallup reports that only 3 in 10 employees are engaged, with more than half quietly quitting. McKinsey data shows that less than half of employees experience a positive workplace climate, and just 38% believe their company truly prioritizes people over profits. The leadership lesson? Style without structure is a risk. As leaders attempt to adapt to a more diverse, demanding, and disrupted workplace, many are shifting styles—moving toward more servant, transformational, authentic, or spiritual models. But here’s the danger: when leadership style evolves without clearly defined decision rights, authority boundaries, and accountability mechanisms, it doesn't inspire—it destabilizes. Execution stalls. Authority blurs. Teams stop acting and start interpreting. Over time, that erodes trust, clarity, and performance. Leadership style is never neutral. Without a system-level anchor, it becomes a liability—amplifying risk instead of resilience. As the adage goes: what got you here won’t get you there. Leadership in today’s world requires more than adaptation—it requires integration. Understanding how different leadership styles interact with organizational systems is essential for avoiding unintended consequences and building enduring impact. Here’s what you need to know about the motivations, characteristics, and system-level risks of four emerging leadership styles—and why self-aware leaders must go beyond style to build structure. A reimagined business purpose Did you hear? The purpose of business changed. The Business Roundtable, made up of 181 prominent US CEOs, has recently restated the purpose of a corporation. The purpose of business is "investing in employees, delivering value to customers, dealing ethically with suppliers and supporting outside communities." Fitzgerald While attention-grabbing, it's not too shocking, given that value creation comes from serving multiple stakeholders. Here is a short video discussing the change and its merits. It is not new for the Business Roundtable to suggest that investing in employees and communities is essential to generating shareholder value. However, because words matter, they decided that the current language was inconsistent with how CEOs strive to run modern businesses. The change has generated some debate. In response, members have clarified that the new purpose statement is not abandoning capitalism but a call to action to ensure benefits are shared. The desire is to encourage boards to focus better on creating long-term value by serving investors, employees, communities, suppliers, and customers. Why your leadership style matters I am a scientist by training, and my hypothesis is that leadership habits are life-changing. Effective leadership  affects the personal and professional results you achieve and the quality of your life. The costs of poor leadership often manifest in the workplace as low employee engagement, a lack of team cohesion and collaboration, high employee turnover, and failed execution. Good leadership can make a success out of a weak plan, but ineffective leadership can destroy a business with a great strategic plan. According to Jim Collins in the book Good to Great, a review of 1,435 companies studied over more than forty years revealed that leadership effectiveness accounts for up to 6.9 times greater returns than market averages. Emerging Leadership Theories and Styles Leadership style reflects a leader’s inner game (values, virtues, and motivations) and outer game (behaviors and habits). In today’s evolving workplace, four emerging 21st-century leadership styles—servant leadership, transformational leadership, authentic leadership, and spiritual leadership—are gaining attention for their people-centered, purpose-driven promise. Yet as organizations seek to adopt these styles, few recognize the potential liabilities when leadership behavior shifts ahead of system alignment. Leadership style, while influential, is never neutral. Without shared operating frameworks—defined decision rights, clear authority boundaries, and accountability systems—style alone introduces organizational risk. The comparisons below highlight the unique motivations of each style—and the systemic vulnerabilities that arise when these styles are not anchored in structure and discipline. Comparing Servant Leadership and Transformational Leadership While similar to servant leadership, the central focus of transformational leadership is organizational benefit, while servant leadership's primary focus is serving others (see Table 1). System-Level Risk:  Servant leadership assumes authority, clarity, and stable accountability. When roles are ambiguous, this style can unintentionally diffuse responsibility, delaying decisions and weakening ownership. Transformational leadership assumes the leader can set direction and drive momentum. But without execution discipline, it can spark vision without results—leading to initiative fatigue instead of transformation. Comparing Servant Leadership and Authentic Leadership In contrast to servant leadership, authentic leadership focuses on the leader being who they were created to be. Authentic leadership and servant leadership share similarities of leading with the heart and humility. However, the critical difference between these two leadership styles is the difference in the leader's focus (see Table 2). System-Level Risk: Authentic leadership assumes a governance structure that frames transparency. In its absence, authenticity may appear subjective or inconsistent—creating confusion instead of cohesion. Comparing Servant Leadership and Spiritual Leadership While spiritual leadership and servant leadership share the most similarities among the four leadership styles, they are distinctly different. Spiritual leadership focuses on motivating, which is very different from servant leadership. Both spiritual leadership and servant leadership styles share the characteristics of love, vision, and altruism (see Table 3). System-Level Risk: Spiritual leadership presumes that purpose enhances—rather than replaces—formal authority systems. Without execution clarity, it risks prioritizing meaning over performance, blurring consequence and accountability. Servant leadership begins with the decision to serve first. Transformational leadership taps into deeper motivations to advance collective goals. Authentic leadership insists on inner alignment and transparency. Spiritual leadership calls for meaning and shared identity. Each has the potential to elevate culture and performance—but only when embedded within a system that supports clarity, consistency, and execution. The world desperately needs a new approach to leadership. Leadership styles are not choices in isolation. Leadership systems either absorb that change — or amplify its risk. The question is whether your organization has made that distinction explicit. This is often where leadership system conversations begin. Are you ready to better understand your leadership style and maximize your potential? Take our Leadership Style Inventory assessment. Leaders discover their preferred leadership style through forced-choice responses to various real-world leadership scenarios. You'll receive a personalized one-page report that will give you a new understanding of your leadership style. Engage in a powerful virtual or in-person executive coaching partnership. Our executive coaching programs are tailored to address your leadership goals and development needs. In addition to the leadership style inventory, coaching consists of a pre/post leadership 360 survey to reveal blind spots and hidden strengths and measure your growth. A typical program includes nine to twelve coaching sessions. Apply your new leadership insights. Now, it's time to use what you have learned to maximize your leadership potential and get more out of life and work. References: Bennis, W. G. (1959). Leadership theory and administrative behavior: The problem of authority. Administrative Science Quarterly, 4 (3), 259- 301. Bass, B. M. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies , 7(3), 18-40. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Fitzgerald, M. (2019). The CEOs of nearly 200 companies said shareholder value is no longer their primary objective. CNBC Markets. Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14 (6), 693-727. George, B. (2003). Authentic leadership: Rediscovering the secrets to creating lasting value John Wiley & Sons. Greenleaf, R. K., & Spears, L. C. (2002). Servant-leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness (25th-anniversary ed.). Paulist Press. Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice seventh edition. Sage. Patterson, K. (2003, October 16). Servant-leadership: A theoretical model [PDF]. Regent University School of Leadership Studies Servant-leadership Research Roundtable.

Many leaders believe that their team's performance is tied to their personal and professional success, but few actually are bringing out the best in their employees on a daily basis. Too often, leaders treat employees like light bulbs. When they aren't working well leaders look to replace them. In today's volatile and complex employee-driven marketplace, a failure to maximize employee performance is a costly mistake. Perhaps you've set out to improve employee performance but then quickly got absorbed into other tasks. Or maybe you've attempted to start being more consistent with reinforcing employee performance, but now your employees are working remotely , and you have lost momentum. If so, you are not alone. Without the right tools, maximizing employee performance is one of the more problematic habits to establish. Your workplace is perfectly designed to get the results you are achieving. Performance reinforcement can be daunting for leaders, from not having the time to feeling lost about where to begin. But you can change that. There is a tremendous value that comes from getting intentional about reinforcing employee performance. It doesn't have to be a complicated performance management process that involves a form from human resources. Tips and Tools to Improve Employee Performance The following tips and tools will get you started down the right path. 1. Understanding employee performance. You don't need to have to be a subject matter expert in performance management. Still, you need to understand the basics and realize that there is a science to employee performance. The ABC model, also known as the three-contingency performance management model, provides a foundational understanding of performance. The "A" standards for those things that prompt desired behavior (antecedents). You probably guessed the "B" stands for the desired behavior. The "C" stands for consequences that have the most significant impact on an employee's performance. Consequences can be positive or negative as experienced by the employee. Consequences that the employee experiences after (within a few seconds of performing) or during the behavior have the greatest impact on the employee's behavior. 2. Get to know your employees. Here is a not-so-shocking revelation. Employees are not all the same. What one employee chooses to do with their time and money outside of work is likely different from how another spends their time and money. Get curious about what your employees find motivating. Although motivators are not always good reinforcers, it is helpful to understand. You may find it helpful to create a reinforcement survey for your team or incorporate some intentional time with your direct reports to learn about their life outside of work. 3. Analyze the consequences of the work. Don't assume what is positive or negative to you is positive or negative to your employees. Pick a behavior you need to improve. Find out what prompts exist already for the desired behavior as well as the consequences your employees experience when performing the desired behavior. If you are wondering why an employee would do something that appears to have negative consequences, there are likely positive, certain, and immediate consequences associated with the undesired behavior. I call this the jelly donut effect. Jelly donuts are not helpful for improving weight loss and cholesterol. However, they taste great, and that is one positive immediate certain reason people who need to lose weight and control their cholesterol choose to eat jelly donuts. The following video from The Big Bang Theory is a more light-hearted look at the role of positive and negative consequences and their influence on behavior. 4. Observe, learn, and adjust. When possible, observe and eliminate or modify the negative, immediate, certain consequences associated with the desired behavior. If employees that prefer warmth have to work in a freezer, you can provide warming jackets to reduce the negative of the cold. If you have employees that like to watch Friends reruns, you can surprise them by giving them a year of episodes when they perform the desired behavior. After you attempt to reinforce the behavior, observe if performance improves for the desired behavior. If not, learn and adjust. Positive and negative consequences sit on separate sides of a scale. When you apply enough consequences one way or the other, you will see a change in performance. As you get intentional with applying reinforcement to improve employee performance, keep in mind the following three rules: It’s best to apply positive reinforcement for the desired behavior than negative reinforcement for the undesired behaviors in most situations. Reinforcement is not about what you would want but what others would want. Adults prefer variety, and it is essential to provide variety with reinforcement. Over time even those things we love can lose their value/desire. For many leaders, improving team performance can be challenging and complicated. But it doesn't have to be. By incorporating these tips, you can learn to look at performance improvement as an experiment that can take as little as a few minutes each day. Applying some structure can help you gain the most traction with the least effort when you are pulled in multiple directions and have numerous meetings. The benefits you will reap are both personal and professional as you help others grow and succeed. Which tip do you need to work on now? Do you have an employee performance challenge you are unable to solve on your own? If you are interested in learning more about this topic I would recommend you read Bringing Out The Best In People by Aubrey Daniels. If you are looking for executive coaching or need organizational performance consulting, we're ready to partner with you to craft a solution specific to your organization's context and challenges. Getting started is as easy as visiting www.organizationaltalent.com or contacting us via email info@organizationaltalent.com. Organizational Talent Consulting utilizes proven, simple, and transformational personal and organizational development solutions to help our clients learn, change, and apply tools in ways that benefit their unique needs and corporate culture. References: Daniels, A. C., & Daniels, J. E. (2006). Performance management: Changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness. Atlanta, Ga: Performance Management Publications.

Whether you're the CEO or a frontline leader, financial performance is a measure of effectiveness. But how do you improve bottom-line performance amid economic uncertainty and the reality that only 3 in 10 employees are engaged? One key is self-awareness. A study involving 486 companies found it moderated business success and poor-performing businesses had 20% more leaders with blind spots. Unfortunately, self-awareness is rare in leadership. A global study found that 95% of leaders think they are self-aware. Still, only 10-15% met the criteria to be considered self-aware on essential leadership competencies related to empathy, trustworthiness, and leadership performance. When you can't see yourself objectively and don't accurately understand the perspectives of others, you can't make the transformational changes necessary for business growth. Here are two proven strategies to increase leadership self-awareness and the signs when it might be lacking. Why leadership self-awareness matters Recently, Korn Ferry established a positive connection between self-awareness and improved company earnings. A study of 486 companies over 30 months found that organizations with a higher percentage of self-aware leaders outperformed organizations with a lower rate. Poor-performing businesses had 20 percent more leaders with blind spots than high-performing businesses. The importance of self-awareness for achieving success and significance is not new. The researched benefits of knowing yourself are numerous beyond improving a business's bottom line. Some of these include: higher quality leadership relationships improved self-control better decision-making enhanced life satisfaction .⁠ In today's increasingly complex and culturally diverse workplace , leaders who can accurately perceive, assess, and regulate their own and others' emotions can better promote unity and team morale⁠. Studies have demonstrated that followers perceive leaders with heightened emotional intelligence as effective. Also, increased awareness may enable leaders to create shared emotional experiences that enhance personal and follower growth, well-being, and psychological safety. Leaders are better prepared to adapt appropriately when they possess a heightened self-awareness. Self-awareness in leadership It is natural to see the world from our unique point of view. We tell ourselves stories about our strengths and areas where we need to be better, as well as what is or is not good leadership. Leadership habits are shaped by past experiences and the words used to describe our actions. With good intentions, we set out to lead as best as possible. Then life happens, and for most of us, we realize we have blind spots and distortions that jeopardize our goals. “To know yourself, you must sacrifice the illusion that you already do.” Vironika Tugaleva Consider the passenger-side rearview mirror on a car. The required safety warning on the mirror states that objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. Also, these rear-view mirrors have blind spots. Distortions and blind spots can be hazardous to our well-being if what is seen and not seen is not interpreted within the proper context. Leaders can make bad decisions without understanding the wisdom of knowing their distortions and blind spots. How to become more self-aware The higher you move within any organization, the less objective feedback you receive. This makes knowing yourself even more critical and challenging. The last thing any leader needs in today's demanding workplace is someone or something telling them what they already know or what they perceive they want to hear. The better the quality of the feedback you receive, the better the decisions you can make. Leadership is a relationship, and it is vital to know what others think. When we only consider ourselves, we have an incomplete understanding. Self-Awareness Strategy #1: Leadership Assessment A 360-degree leadership assessment  is a type of multi-rater instrument that collects feedback from multiple sources relative to the leader's position within an organization. Typically, the questions in a 360-degree assessment are focused on leadership performance, skills, and contributions. While 360-degree feedback effectively improves leadership skills across all cultures, it is most effective in cultures with low power distance and individualistic values, such as Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. “Look outside and you will see yourself. Look inside and you will find yourself.” Drew Gerald Self-Awareness Strategy #2: Executive Coaching Combined with leadership assessments, executive coaching helps reveal deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to enhanced potential. Research supports that a coach's timely and appropriate use of leadership 360 assessments leads to improved self-awareness and organizational outcomes.⁠ Given that coaching's ultimate goal is to change within you, the process centers on using essential questions and client-centered critical thinking to invoke self-awareness and personal responsibility. Signs you might lack self-awareness Lacking self-awareness limits your specific ability to realize your professional and personal goals, like trying to navigate a ship without a sextant. Self-aware leaders are not naive about their accidental habits and are better positioned to develop life-changing leadership habits. Overestimating your ability can lead to negative consequences for your performance and the organization.⁠ Leaders who have a distorted view of their strengths and weaknesses usually cannot effectively regulate their emotions and behaviors. Research has demonstrated that the symptoms of a lack of self-awareness include negative consequences to your physical health, work performance, and social interactions. Signs of a lack of self-awareness include: Stalling career Lack of direction Absence of learning something new Surprised frequently by feedback from others Frequently make excuses Constantly firefighting and struggling with time management What is your real self-awareness challenge? Key summary points When you know yourself, you have the insight necessary to recognize leadership bad habits and make transformational changes that deliver proven results. Self-awareness means to know yourself so that you are able to see yourself objectively, you are aware of similarities and differences from others, and you understand the perspective from which you see others and the world. A study of 486 companies over 30 months demonstrated that organizations with a higher percentage of self-aware leaders outperformed organizations with a lower rate. Leaders can make bad decisions without understanding the wisdom of knowing their distortions and blind spots. The better the quality of the feedback you receive, the better the decisions you can make. Executive coaching combined with leadership 360 assessments help reveal deep insights into areas that, with attention, lead to enhanced potential. References Athanasopoulou, A., & Dopson, S. (2018). A systematic review of executive coaching outcomes: Is it the journey or the destination that matters the most ? The Leadership Quarterly , 29(1), 70-88. Baldoni, J. (2013). Few executives are self-aware, but women have the edge. Harvard Business Review. Bratton, V. K., Dodd, N. G., & Brown, F. W. (2011). The impact of emotional intelligence on accuracy of self-awareness and leadership performance. Leadership & Organization Development Journal , 32(2), 127-149. Doolittle, J. (2024). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Performance. Organizational Talent Consulting. Goldstein, G., Allen, D. N., & Deluca, J. (2019). Handbook of psychological assessment . Elsevier Science & Technology. Gorgens-Ekermans, G., & Roux, C. (2021). Revisiting the emotional intelligence and transformational leadership debate: Does emotional intelligence matter to effective leadership? SA Journal of Human Resource Management , 19(2), e1-e13. June, C. (2020). 10 signs you lack self-awareness. Psych2Go. Oltmanns, T. F., Gleason, M. E. J., Klonsky, E. D., & Turkheimer, E. (2005). Meta-perception for pathological personality traits: Do we know when others think that we are difficult? Consciousness and Cognition , 14(4), 739-751. Pekaar, K. A., Bakker, A. B., van der Linden, D., & Born, M. P. (2018). Self- and other-focused emotional intelligence: Development and validation of the Rotterdam emotional intelligence scale (REIS). Personality and Individual Differences , 120, 222-233. Wilson, T. D., & Gilbert, D. T. (2005). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want. Current Directions in Psychological Science: A Journal of the American Psychological Society , 14(3), 131-134. Zes, D., & Landis, D. (2013). A better return on self-awareness. Korn Ferry Institute .

Empty stadiums at the 2020 Olympics provide a fascinating glimpse into the profound impact of others' presence on workplace performance, productivity, and profitability. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12.7% of full-time employees are now working from home, while 28.2% are working a hybrid model. Empty offices are no longer a rarity. Social facilitation sheds light on the subtle ways the presence of others impacts performance and why an Olympic athlete would cite a lack of an audience for dropping out of an event. The presence of others is a psychological lever that can optimize your performance in the workplace. When you put the ideas of social facilitation to work, you give yourself and your team a greater opportunity to achieve higher levels of performance and career success. Whether you are a team leader with remote employees or work remotely, here is what you need to know about social facilitation and a few tips to bring out your best. Why Understanding Social Facilitation Matters Social facilitation is a psychological concept relating to the tendency for the influence of others to improve a person’s performance on a task. This concept was first described in a study of bicyclist's racing performance in 1898. The researcher noticed that when racing against others, athletes performed better than those racing only against their times. Social facilitation is defined as improvement in performance induced by the real, implied, or imagined presence of others. Social facilitation is thought to impact: the drive to perform the ability to focus while performing the anxiety and desire to impress others. Social facilitation has two types of effects on the performer: Co-action effects because others are doing the same task Audience effects because you are doing something in front of others. Evidence suggests three nuances that impact social facilitation: The presence of others negatively influences employee performance on complex and challenging tasks, as defined by the performer. The presence of others positively influences employee performance when confidence is high for the task. The presence of others negatively affects employee performance when the performer has lower confidence levels. Proximity, the number of others, and the degree to which others are supportive play a role in influencing performance positively or negatively. One of my first not-so-fun memories associated with the social facilitation audience effect came from an experience I had when I was eight. My parent's desire to develop a music appreciation led them to make me take one year of piano lessons. I remember I was assigned to play "Doo-Dad Boogie" for my first piano recital. While this sheet music is elementary, it was challenging for a first-year piano student. I was terrified at the recital even though I was only playing for a few parents and other students in the living room of my piano teacher. This experience taught me that I played better in private. Later in high school, I first connected with the positive influence of the social facilitation co-action effect. I was never a great student. Most of the time, I was a quiet C student. However, when more intelligent students surrounded me, I recognized that I tended to push myself harder and do better than in lower-level courses. This stood out because I anticipated doing worse in the higher-level courses. As in my life, the influence of others is not always positive. The opposite of social facilitation is called social loafing. Social loafing happens when others influence someone to put in less effort than working alone. The reality is that performance is contagious. Others can influence performance for the better and the worse. Implications for Leaders of Hybrid Teams & Remote Employees So, what implications can leaders and senior management take away from the concept of social facilitation and the lessons of the 2020 Olympic games? It might be surprising to know, but your performance is not just dependent on you. Also, your team's performance isn’t just about them. Leaving employees alone is not helpful for them or the organization's bottom line. As a word of caution, social facilitation is not a license to micromanage employees. I don't know anyone who enjoys being told what to do when they can do what needs to be done. Understanding the influence of others can help you improve your performance and the performance of those you lead. The Joyless Workplace? Some have labeled the Tokyo Olympics as the "joyless games" due to the lack of family and friends in the seats to cheer and celebrate. Even though the absence of a crowd is apparent, if you only look at the faces of Olympic gold winners, it is hard to recognize the difference between these games from any others. Cardboard cutouts in the stadium piped in crowd noise and extra encouragement from coaches and teammates were used to fill a void. According to the athletes themselves, fans have an emotional effect on the games and can increase the energy of those winning or inspire those falling behind to dig deeper. In the following interview with two former Olympic athletes, they provide perspective on the impact of empty stands on the athletes' performance. 5 Social Facilitation Tips for Leaders The reality of a hybrid workforce with geographically dispersed employees is not going away. The following are five tips for applying the social facilitation research to leading geographically dispersed teams: Leadership Social Facilitation Tip #1: Presence Matters Leaders need to be present with employees. Although technology has limitations compared to physical proximity, research supports that a digital presence influences social facilitation effects. Frontline leaders and senior management should establish strategies to be present and check in with employees. Conduct regular check-in meetings to increase your presence and feedback. Leadership Social Facilitation Tip #2: Goals Matter More Research has identified that having clear performance goals improves employee performance in addition to social facilitation. Setting goals with employees (not for employees) with performance anchors is essential, especially in a digital environment. Use goal-setting as an opportunity to empower your team. Leadership Social Facilitation Tip #3: Recognition Makes a Difference After establishing clear goals of what performance is worthy, you need to show you notice and care. Use a reinforcement survey to find out what motivates each employee. Then, use those learnings to recognize excellent performance when observed. Don't wait until the end of the year. Leadership Social Facilitation Tip #4: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work When the task is simple or well-known, you can increase performance by introducing an audience. Consider opportunities for pairing up team members doing the same job. Also, make it a point to show up virtually on your team's projects. Leadership Social Facilitation Tip #5: Keep Your Virtual Door Open Create opportunities to socialize and build personal relationships virtually. The digital environment creates some challenges. However, there are many potentially novel ideas for online remote employees. 3 Social Facilitation Tips for Remote Employees Here are three tips for anyone who finds themselves working out of their basement and looking for ways to improve their performance: Employee Social Facilitation Tip #1: Practice Should be Private Work toward becoming fluent with a task before performing in front of others. As your fluency increases, task difficulty will decrease, and others will positively reinforce your performance. At this point, start to make your performance visible to others to leverage the positive effects of social facilitation. Invite your leader to join in on a virtual project meeting or ask to pair up with someone on an assignment. Employee Social Facilitation Tip #2: Be Thoughtful of Whom You Invite to Practice Surround yourself with supportive people as you are learning complex tasks. An unsupported audience harms complex task performance. Employee Social Facilitation Tip #3: Leverage Ambient Noise Moderate levels of ambient noise enhance creative cognition by mimicking the presence of others. Being hyper-focused on a task can limit creativity. Check out coffitivity.com, which replicates the coffee shop when you can’t be at one. If your career is stalling, you need a plan to boost your career . Hiring a coach focused on your career goals leads to improved performance. Coaching keeps you feeling challenged versus being worried about what's next. Additionally, an executive coach increases your blind spot awareness. Getting started is as easy as visiting www.organizationaltalent.com or contacting us via email at info@organizationaltalent.com to learn more about our executive coaching and organizational consulting services. References: Aiello, J.R., & Douthitt, E.A. ( 2001). Social facilitation theory from Triplett to electronic performance monitoring. Group Dynamics, 5(3), 163-180. Feinberg, J. M. & Aiello, J. R. (2006). Social Facilitation: A Test of Competing Theories. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 36(5), 1087-1109. Mehta, R., Zhu, R., & Cheema, A. (2012). Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition. Journal of Consumer Research, 39 (4), 784-799. doi:10.1086/665048 Murayama K, Elliot AJ. The competition-performance relation: a meta-analytic review and test of the opposing processes model of competition and performance. Psychological Bulletin . 2012;138(6):1035-1070. doi:10.1037/a0028324 Rafaeli S, Rafaeli S, Noy A. Correspondence (September). European Journal of Information Systems. 2002;11(3):196-207.

Accountability is a frustrating topic for many leaders and business owners. Despite careful hiring practices, well-designed employment policies, and even digital monitoring, accountability remains puzzling. Why do some employees take accountability for their actions and others don't? When it's lacking, company performance and culture suffer. When done right, accountability leads to better outcomes. Holding others accountable isn't easy, but it significantly impacts your leadership and business results. An organizational culture of accountability is architected. It doesn't just happen. Here are five psychological levers for leaders to create workplace accountability, along with a quiz to help you understand if your company or team has a healthy culture of accountability. Why employee accountability matters A recent CEO benchmarking report found that nearly one in five CEOs surveyed identified holding others accountable as their greatest weakness, and almost as many struggled with letting go of underperformers. Holding employees accountable is difficult for leaders, even when they are responsible to others for business results. Employee accountability - an expectation that an employee may be called on to explain an action or inaction to others with the belief of a consequence based on an evaluation. Employees ignore, deny, blame, and play the victim in a toxic culture without accountability. Evidence from various studies links employee accountability to: Job satisfaction Motivation Stress Ethical behavior Job performance Discretionary effort “When people feel accountable and included, it is more fun.” – Alan Mulally The Five Leadership Levers That Determine Whether Accountability Shows Up — or Disappears Researchers have found that in the workplace, these five psychological dimensions drive accountability: Accountability Lever 1: Attribution When others know who did it—the more personal, explicit, and unambiguous a task, the greater the attribution accountability. When employees expect their actions and decisions can or might be linked directly to them, and leaders know their name, they are more likely to take accountability. Evidence suggests clear standards and expectations increase attribution accountability. Make job descriptions and performance expectations more explicit. Idea: Develop meaningful relationships with your team members. Accountability Lever 2: Observation In a culture of observation accountability, employees expect their behaviors and judgments to be observed by their leader, peers, followers, and others. As the audience size increases, employees' observation accountability increases because they feel more likely to be observed. Idea: Emphasize transparency and increase the visibility of individual work. “The best kind of accountability on a team is peer-to-peer. Peer pressure is more efficient and effective than going to the leader, anonymously complaining, and having them stop what they are doing to intervene.” – Patrick Lencioni. Accountability Lever 3: Evaluation Feedback is provided for actions and judgments, and the ability exists to be compared to others. Employees who expect performance to be meaningfully reviewed feel more evaluation accountability. Additionally, when the evaluation outcomes are variable, it increases evaluation accountability. Idea: Reviewer status increases evaluation accountability. Include a second level (i.e., the leader's leader) review of formal performance evaluations. Accountability Lever 4: Obligation Having to explain an action or the way a decision is made and its effect on the well-being of others. Employees who expect to answer for their actions feel an increased obligation accountability. Idea: Reporting to multiple leaders or customers increases obligation accountability. Use performance calibration meetings with other leaders at the same level to increase visibility to talent across the organization and performance visibility. Accountability Lever 5: Consequential Employees working in effective accountability systems expect their actions to be linked to good or bad consequences. Consequences and rewards involve extrinsic (ex., earning a bonus or avoiding a negative) and intrinsic attributes (ex., personal satisfaction or enjoyment). According to equity theory, employees are motivated when rewards are fair as compared to others. Idea: Involve employees in defining rewards and recognition systems and defining levels of expectation for tasks. "When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice." Brené Brown Does your company or team have a culture of accountability? The following validated survey by Han and Perry can be used by leaders to better understand employee accountability within a team or across an organization. Have employees anonymously indicate their degree of agreement or disagreement with the following statements using a seven-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). What I do is noticed by others in my organization. If I make a mistake, I will be caught. I am constantly watched to see if I follow my organization's policies and procedures. Anyone outside my organization can tell whether I'm doing well. My errors can be easily spotted outside my organization. People outside my organization are interested in my job performance. The outcomes of my work are rigorously evaluated. My work efforts are rigorously evaluated. I expect to receive frequent feedback from my supervisor. I could not quickly avoid making a false statement to justify my performance. I am constantly required to follow strict organizational policies or procedures. I am not allowed to make excuses to avoid blame in my organization. If I perform well, I will be rewarded. Reasonable effort on my part will ultimately be rewarded. If I do my job well, my organization will benefit from it. Each question aligns with one of the five levers of accountability. The higher the score, the higher the dimension of accountability. Attribution Accountability (Q1-3) Observation Accountability (Q4-6) Evaluation Accountability (Q7-9) Obligation Accountability (Q10-12) Consequential Accountability (Q13-15) Consider using this survey before and after taking steps to improve the team and organizational accountability. Measurement improves focus and tracks progress over time. When accountability issues show up repeatedly, they are almost never fixed by asking people to “try harder.” Accountability is shaped by what leaders consistently reinforce — through clarity, visibility, expectations, and consequences — especially when results are under pressure. Holding employees accountable isn't easy, but it significantly impacts your leadership and business results. Where might your leadership team be unintentionally weakening accountability — not through intent, but through what you tolerate, inspect, or model? References Connors, R., Smith, T., & Hickman, C. (2010). The Oz Principle: Getting results through individual and organizational accountability. Prentice Hall. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Han, Y., & Perry, J. (2020). Conceptual bases of employee accountability: A psychological approach, perspectives on public management and governance , 3:4, 288–304 Han, Y., & Perry, J. (2020). Employee accountability: development of a multidimensional scale, International Public Management Journal, 23:2, 224-251. Howard, S. (2019). Holding employees accountable: where most leaders fail. Predictive Index.

Could gratitude be a secret weapon to transform your stress-filled workplace? In tough times, negativity can spread like wildfire, leaving your team living for the weekend. Emotions are social contagions. Minor issues escalate quickly to critical concerns. After a while, compounded complexity and stress harm performance and employee well-being. Today's employees are looking to leaders for more help. Evidence suggests that 72% of leaders feel used up at the end of their day, a significant increase from two years prior. This is where the power of gratitude makes all the difference. Often forgotten in tough times, gratitude can restore a positive mindset, acting as a positive social contagion. Discover how you can make gratitude your leadership superpower with these three practical tips. Why gratitude matters Gratitude is a positive emotion that brings balance to a negative mindset . Many studies link gratitude with positive personal benefits, such as: Improved health Increased happiness Decreased anxiety Decreased depression Likewise, evidence suggests that feeling appreciated is linked to well-being and employee performance. Those who feel valued by their leader are more likely to report higher levels of: Physical and mental health Engagement Job satisfaction Intrinsic motivation Here is a short video that explains the science behind why gratitude matters. If you immerse yourself in the daily news, the future of work appears dire – supply chain constraints, geopolitical conflict, inflation, and historic labor shortages are projected to persist. Employees are stressed out, and the costs of workplace stress and burnout are high . To quantify workplace stress costs , a recent study found that workplace stressors in the United States account for more than 120,000 deaths per year and approximately 5-8% of annual healthcare costs. The Mayo Clinic found that the personal and organizational side effects of stress include: broken relationships substance abuse depression decreased customer satisfaction reduced productivity increased employee turnover Stress is an emotional contagion. Research has demonstrated that co-workers can spread stress within a workgroup. For example, someone on your team who feels down enters a meeting. Within a few minutes, the entire team's emotions mimic their behaviors and non-verbal expressions. The following short NPR video discusses how emotions like stress are contagious. What does leadership gratitude look like? According to the American Psychological Association, gratitude is a sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift, either a tangible benefit given by someone or a fortunate happenstance. "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others." – Cicero. As a leader, the practice of gratitude consists of affirming the goodness of others. A habit of gratitude involves acknowledging the good and feeling thankful. While distinctly different, empathy, kindness, and love are closely related to the virtue of gratitude. Effective leadership is more than making someone do something. It is about the selfless influence of others and the ability to bring out the best in others. Here is a good video from gratitude expert Robert Emmons addressing gratitude. We can all cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Evidence suggests that it is best to start by making gathering and giving gratitude easy. Here are three tips for building a habit of gratitude. Gratitude Habit Tip #1: Stop. Look. Go. The following video presents how practicing gratitude begins by getting quiet, looking through our senses, and then taking the opportunity presented. Gratitude Habit Tip #2: Make it easy When building a habit it is consistency and not intensity. Have you got an app for that? Gratefulness.io is a tool that makes getting started easy. I have used this tool for a few years and found it helpful for building an attitude of gratitude. The app will send you a simple daily prompt asking you about what you are grateful for, and it stores your responses in a private online journal. What you record can be as simple as what comes to your mind or a purposeful reflection on something good that happened that day and why you felt good. I find the reminders Gratefulness.io sends of what I was grateful for from my journal very encouraging , and a way for me to track over time. Gratitude Habit Tip #3: Give it away Giving gratitude makes you happier. After listing what you are grateful for each day, take a few moments to practice giving gratitude. Not only will reflecting and journaling what you are thankful for make you happier but giving appreciation will multiply the positive effects on your emotions. Simply send a thank you note or, better yet, deliver the thank you note or say thank you in person. How important do you think gratitude is for you and your team as you look ahead to what experts suggest will be another challenging new year, and what is the real gratitude challenge for you? References: Adecco. (2021). Resetting normal: Defining the new era of work 2021 [PDF]. The Adecco Group. APA. (2012). APA survey finds feeling valued at work linked to well-being and performance. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate, people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Goh, J., Pfeffer, J., & Zenios, S. (2016). The relationship between workplace stressors and mortality and health costs in the United States [PDF]. Management Science. Harvard Medical School. (2021). Giving thanks can make you happier. Harvard Health Publishing. McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82 (1), 112-127. The Gratefulness Team. (2021). What is Gratitude? A Network for Grateful Living