Leading by Fear – When Ego Drives the Bus

Although many organizations understand that creating a safe environment is the best way to engage and empower their people, some organizations still lead by fear. When this occurs, people are fearful of losing their job as well as being embarrassed in front of their colleagues. One organization I consulted for had a string of seven leaders who all led by fear. They pitted people against one another and undermined the trust. Working with this organization allowed leaders to understand that leading by fear was a very dysfunctional approach which results in finger pointing.

A Culture of Fear

Although fear can be a short-term motivator, a culture of fear results in individual people having stronger individual goals than team goals. Fear inhibits people from speaking up because they worry about criticism. In another organization, the CEO complained no one spoke up when he held meetings with the supervisors, yet when I interviewed the supervisors, they stated that he put them down and said their ideas were stupid when they did speak up. In other instances, fear-based leaders often mistake silence with compliance.

To avoid getting called out, people will prioritize their work over all others and take short cuts to get their work done faster. A fearful culture often results in a lot of turnover. It causes competent leaders to lose their confidence and question their worth. Often this is because fear-based leaders only point out a person’s shortcomings. People spend hours of their personal time in their heads worrying about work and this may cause physical and emotional problems.

From Me to We

Often the fear stems from a leader’s lack of confidence in their own ability. The best leaders know that leading by fear does not work overall. They make a switch from “me” to “we” and work to build trust. They genuinely care about their people and value diverse opinions. They encourage honest communication, so people are focused on the team instead of their own survival!