Most things you do as a leader are unforgettable. We don’t want to insult you, but your routine actions on your routine days are routinely reflected in your reports.
On those non-routine days when you’re at the end of the barrel, the temperature is rising, and you feel pushed to your limits, how you behave under pressure leaves a lasting impression on those around you. Our recent research showed that your temperament in these critical moments has a huge impact on your team’s performance.
Are you calm, collected, sincere, curious, direct and eager to listen during challenging times? That’s the ideal, right? Do the reports describe you as sad, angry, old-fashioned, rejecting, or sneaky?
Moods of leaders
an online in the survey We asked over 1,300 people about their leaders’ attitudes under stress and its impact on their work. We have seen many leaders and managers succumb to stress. To be more precise, according to employees’ statements, when under pressure, leaders;
- 53 percent are more old-fashioned and controlling than open and curious,
- 43 percent become upset and emotional rather than calm and controlled,
- 45 percent ignore or ignore rather than listening and trying to understand,
- 43 percent act angry rather than calm,
- 37 percent avoid and evade rather than be direct and clear,
- 30 percent of them are not sincere and honest, but sneaky and misleading.
One manager we worked with was very strict and cautious about creating a fun and supportive environment where his team felt safe to experience new things. He saw his job as supporting people and developing talent, but his team described him as “an annoying person.” When we described a time when his team found him extra “annoying,” he said, “I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m two-faced. But I’m not. I am the fun, supportive person I portray 95 percent of the time. It’s just that five percent of the time I get angry, forget what I’m supposed to be doing, and say stupid things. “These sentences do not reflect my true identity,” he said.
Research results are surprising
Even though his team rated him in the 95th percentile as being great, his non-routine behavior left a lasting impression. According to his team, his true identity was revealed in these 5 percent moments when tension rose.
The story doesn’t end here. Research has shown that when leaders buckle under pressure, it not only affects their influence but also their teams. Participants stated that when their leaders remain silent or explode under pressure, the morale of their teammates decreases; that they compromise deadlines, budgets, and quality standards more frequently; He stated that they exhibited behavior that repelled customers.
Our research reinforced this. According to their subordinates, one in three leaders are seen as unable to speak up or participate when tension levels rise. When leaders cannot have productive conversations under stress, their teammates are more likely to quit. They are also more likely to remain silent, get angry, and not participate; they are less likely to do more than their responsibilities and complain more. However, a leaderFeeding on Chaos“He should know.
Leaders’ behavioral patterns
A leader’s arrogant attitude has a domino effect on the morale and psychology of his team. An employee of a large multinational company told us that their truthful leaders were terrible at high-pressure conversations, and the more they tried to speak up in difficult situations, the more aggressive their leaders became. He and a group of fellow workers grew quieter. The situation was so bad that people had switched to the perspective: “They pay me just enough to keep me from quitting my job, and I work just enough to keep me from firing.” They have also internalized the saying: “$1,000 a week for hide and seek.” It wasn’t that their loyalty to the company had weakened a little, it was that they were specifically avoiding management. “They worked only as much as necessary and received their checks at the end of each week.”
Let’s look at examples of how leaders can be at their best, even under pressure, with a few simple skills. Imagine walking out of a meeting with a client, your boss, and your boss’s boss, and the meeting didn’t go well. You thought that your company’s agreement with the customer promised to be delivered within 15 days, but the contract was not like that. The time limit was actually ten days, so you and your team were going over it every time. Your boss and his boss were embarrassed and angry. When you left the meeting, they assigned you the task of solving the problem immediately. Now you should have gone back to your team, taken the employee who misunderstood the contract, and worked that evening and throughout the weekend until you had completed all of this week’s work.
Decide what you want
You are embarrassed and angry. You blame the employee who handled the contract for his mistake. But before you let your emotions take over, stop and ask yourself: “What do I want for myself, the employee handling the contract, and my team in the long run?” The answer will be your North Star, the purpose that guides your actions. You may think that you need to show your anger to the employee who is handling the contract for the moment, but will this be productive in the long run? Instead, try focusing on more positive aspects, such as “I need to be my best self” or “I need to make sure the team understands that I appreciate the sacrifice I’m asking of them.”
Challenge your story
It would be easy to declare the employee who handled the contract guilty. It’s both reasonable and makes you an unimpeachable victim. You are justifying your own anger. But the best leaders challenge their own stories. You may ask yourself: “Why would a rational, logical and reasonable person make the mistake he did?” and “What role did I play in his mistake not being noticed?” These questions keep us angry and non-judgmental; It pushes you to be curious, problem solver and a more productive leader.
Start with the facts
When we are angry, we are governed by our emotions rather than facts. Skilled leaders gather facts rather than listing accusations. More accurately, focus on your expectation: Missing tasks, standards, policies, or goals. Then gather your observations together: Don’t add conclusions, opinions, or judgments. Because facts are neutral and verifiable, they provide the basis for problem solving.
Create a safe environment
If you’re in a situation where your job or reputation is at stake, how do you mobilize your team without showing your anger? Can you keep them working overtime without threatening them? The short answer is yes. Our study showed that teams work harder and more effectively when bosses don’t lose their cool. So you don’t need to threaten them. “This is about fixing, not blaming. ‘How can we solve the immediate problem?’ I want us to focus on the question. You can use sentences that indicate good intentions, such as “We can get back to what we can do to prevent it from happening again later.” Making your intentions clear allows your team to focus on what they need to do rather than feeling like they’re being mistreated.
When tensions rise at work, most of us are not at our best. If you’ve lost your temper in the past, don’t be too hard on yourself. This is something that could happen again. But don’t get discouraged or complacent. Ask yourself, “Who am I when it matters most?” ask. Being your best self under pressure is not easy, but it is very important. These are the moments that make an impact for you and your team.
