When is a tough boss really a bully?
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Published in the Globe and Mail, June 6th 2003.
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MARY PEARSON
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Bad behaviour at the top costs companies dearly in terms of morale, productivity, creativity, absenteeism and transparency. So what's to be done?
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 | You're in the weekly meeting of the executive team. The chief executive officer crushes a soft-drink can in his hands. "I promised my wife this morning that I wouldn't shout at you guys."
Then, he proceeds to scream and humiliate each of you in turn. When the meeting is finished, he calmly says. "I don't know why you guys can't get over it. . . . I'm over it."
This is his regular behaviour, but the board of directors considers the CEO a tough leader who gets results -- never mind how those results are accomplished.
Despite growing awareness, the workplace remains an arena for verbal abuse, intimidation and exploitation of power. And tolerance for abusive tactics tends to increase the higher up the hierarchy the abuse takes place.
It's hard to tell how common abusive leaders are: while there has been a steady increase in grievances by unionized employees, abuse tends to go unreported at managerial levels.
What do abusive leaders look like? Well, they're charming to their superiors and to people outside the organization. They generally manage up very well and tend to undermine the credibility of their staff to their superiors. The board can be lulled into thinking they have a powerful leader, who is whipping the team in shape. Little do they know how literal that whipping is.
Abusive leaders don't tolerate criticism and they cannot be easily rehabilitated. They will take credit for success and blame their subordinates for any failures. Focused on the bottom line, they may get good short-term results, but the long-term costs are high.
Like traumatized children, staff "tiptoe" around, trying to avoid raising the boss's ire, but it's in vain: This kind of leader deliberately uses intimidation to maintain control.
The costs to an organization of having an abusive person in a leadership role can be enormous. For example:
Staff morale will be poor, resulting in lower productivity.
Input on important decisions will be minimal, as the abusive leader will make all the decisions. No one will have the courage to say the emperor has no clothes; so major mistakes won't be avoided, while the wrong people will be blamed.
Irregularities will go undetected and unreported.
Staff turnover will be high, resulting in higher costs for recruitment and training. Those who have options escape the abuser by quitting. The brave who stand their ground may get fired. Typically the abuser will explain it as "a conflict."
More people will take sick and stress leave, resulting in higher insurance costs.
Creativity will be stifled. No matter how brilliant the staff, an abusive leader will undermine their ability to develop innovative ideas. They will be preoccupied with averting disasters resulting from the leader's unilateral decisions.
The company may face legal action for emotional stress and damage to the health of affected staff.
Dealing with abusive leaders who are high in the hierarchy is difficult, especially if it is the CEO.
For staff, taking action can be very risky.
For one thing, you may need to be prepared to find a new job, for the abuser has probably undermined your credibility with his boss, so you'll have an uphill battle. Begin to document the abuse, with time and dates, what was said and to whom. There is safety and credibility in numbers. If a group of colleagues presents their case to the abuser's boss, it can hold more weight.
Even so, this can result in the dismissal of the group, if the abuser has done a good job of selling himself and undermining you. In any event, be prepared for a fight, because the abuser will turn against the dissidents with ferocity. Indeed, be prepared to talk to a lawyer.
A more subtle approach would be to request 360-degree feedback, or the intervention of a third party for "team-building" purposes. The main thing is to recognize that you are dealing with a power abuser and if you feel helpless, powerless, intimidated, it's what that person is intending.
Protect yourself by talking to supportive friends and colleagues, and taking care of your health and level of stress. Techniques for "detaching" emotionally through meditation may also reduce your stress.
If you're a board member who suspects there is a high-level abuser in the organization, watch for telltale signs, such as:
A quiet, solemn work group where opinions are generally not offered by anyone other than the leader.
High staff turnover -- key people leave and strong people are fired for having a "different vision."
High levels of sick or stress leave.
A leader who criticizes subordinates to his or her superiors.
Get someone to interview staff, conduct a 360-feedback or contact former employees for exit interviews. It is imperative that staff feel safe and that their confidentiality is protected.
Once abuse is confirmed it is important to take immediate action.
If the organization believes the abuser can be rehabilitated, and that his or her skill and talent is worth the risk, time and cost, there are a number of possible strategies:
Take the abuser out of the managerial role and have the person act in an advisory or consultative role. The less power the individual holds, the better.
Feedback on the results of a 360-review from a skilled organizational coach may help the abuser see how his actions detract from his effectiveness. In some cases, if there is expert facilitation, staff may actually be able to voice their feelings to the leader.
The leader who recognizes that he may be using abusive techniques may need to seek professional help to understand why. An individual who recognizes he uses intimidation has a good chance for change. He should be prepared to acknowledge his behaviour to staff, apologize, and seek their feedback. In this case hiring a facilitator for team building may bring things out in the open.
Whatever efforts are taken for rehabilitation must have regular long-term follow-up to ensure that the behaviour has changed. If the behaviour returns, pay a severance and quickly remove the individual from the organization.
In some cases, it may be futile to try to rehabilitate an abusive leader. Then, the best strategy is to remove them from power without delay and then work to reconstruct trust within the team that has been abused.
Acknowledge the abuse took place and assure staff that this behaviour will be not tolerated in the future. And be prepared: It may take several months for employees to regain their productivity, openness and creativity.
Mary Pearson is a Toronto-based management consultant.
globecareers@globeandmail.ca
| | | Mary Pearson is a Toronto-based management consultant.
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