Managers' apprehension towards their staff and potential solutions explored.
Article:
Tackling Internal Fear in Leadership: A Guide to Conscious Management
Sometimes, the root of a business's issues isn't external competition — it's internal. These concerns lurk in leader-employee relationships and involve fears of losing control, authority, making errors, or losing team members. Dmitry Grinkevich, CEO of "Manao Dev," highlights some of these issues, offering insights into how leaders can regain control and steer their teams towards success.
Fear-Based Decisions and Their Consequences
Maxim, an ambitious creative agency owner, was constant control freak. He micromanaged, demanded approval, and even drew designs himself to avoid delegation. This was all driven by fear of losing control and the anxiety that the team would let him down. These worries hindered process simplification, leading to burnout for him and his team members. Sales and design staff left, increasing the workload but decreasing the number of employees. Under pressure, Maxim tightened his grip further, exacerbating fears of betrayal and losing people. His team's motivation waned, and after a grueling 1.5 years, Maxim found himself exhausted, feeling that "people are unreliable." The truth was, Maxim was undermined by his own fear.
Like Maxim, Anna, a marketing department head at a startup, struggled with fear as well. Intelligent and responsible though she was, she was excessively cautious, delaying decisions and avoiding open dialogue to avoid criticism and open conflicts. By managing alone and negligently, Anna stifled growth, making the project freeze. Life in the project came to a standstill, and Anna lost control of the situations. Dmitry Grinkevich notes that dysfunctionuous leadership is often a result of hidden fears that inhibit open and honest management.
Overcoming Fear and Improving Leadership
Failure to address hidden fears can result in harmful leadership patterns. Here are some questions to help leaders identify if and where fear might be seeping into their decisions and management styles.
- Micromanagement: Fear of losing control can make leaders redo their employees' work. To mitigate, establish transparent processes with documented tasks, deadlines, and milestones. Use CRM and task managers to automate routine tasks, freeing time for oversight without hyper-control. Empower your team by delegating authority and responsibility, trusting in them and accepting that mistakes are an inherent part of the work process.
- Authority Issues: Avoidance of open dialogue and deferring responsibility can stem from fear of losing authority. To combat this, be transparent about your issues, triggering respect from your team. Delegate responsibility along with the right to influence the results to encourage team development and protect yourself from burnout.
- Avoiding Discussions: Lack of discussion about problems can create a frozen project landscape. A leader must advocate for the company's interests, fostering honest feedback to enable quicker resolution of issues, increase trust, and create an environment where people strive for results, not avoid mistakes.
- Fear of Losing People: Dependency on key employees can lead to toxic policies. Document tasks, instructions, and decisions to mitigate risks and enable swift onboarding of new employees when needed. Loss is an inevitable part of growth; focus on creating business processes that reduce the impact when key personnel leave.
- Fear of Criticism: While fear of criticism is common, leaders can develop psychological resilience to criticism through calm acceptance of feedback. Mistakes are opportunities for growth, and the ability to accept doubts and discuss errors strengthens teams.
Embracing Broader Thinking
Internal fears revolve around a leader's psychological state. Trust and transparency in processes and communication can help alleviate anxieties and foster strong, resilient teams. Dmitry Grinkevich notes that automation and transparent processes contribute to reduced anxiety for leaders, provided they are built on trust. Business isn't about perfection; it's about authentic leaders who can "see broadly," guide their teams, and drive growth.
Editor's Note:
Internal fears can significantly impact leadership and work performance in a business setting. These fears may result in fear-based leadership — characterized by micromanaging, difficulty delegating tasks, and an emphasis on perfectionism. Consequently, they can produce a toxic work environment, stifle innovation, and lead to resistance to change. To counteract these negative consequences, it is essential for leaders to foster trust, maintain open communication, and help their teams feel psychologically safe. Additionally, creating a culture that encourages innovation, transparency, and adaptability is critical to long-term success and growth.
- Dmitry Grinkevich, the CEO of "Manao Dev," explains that fear-driven leadership, such as Maxim's micromanagement and hypercontrol, can adversely impact a business by hindering process simplification and leading to employee burnout and attrition.
- In the marketing department at a startup, Anna, like Maxim, struggled with fear in her leadership. Her excessive caution and avoidance of open dialogue stifled growth, leading to a standstill in the project.
- To overcome fear and improve leadership, leaders should establish transparent processes and delegate authority, trusting their team to accept responsibility and make mistakes. This would enable them to focus on oversight instead of hyper-control.
- Leaders can also combat fear by being transparent about their issues and advocating for the company's interests to foster honest feedback and quicker resolution of issues.
- Developing psychological resilience to criticism through calm acceptance of feedback is essential for leaders to grow as individuals and guide their teams towards success in the business world.
