Counter Productive Leadership

A movement away from the ‘T’ word…….don’t label the person, just the behaviour.

I was scrolling through the website of the US Army’s Center For Army Leadership when an article suddenly caught my attention. For those who take their leadership views from just one source, please consider the website as part of a range of views.

I had been coaching a client (and this has been written with their full permission) who was finding their time at work unusually stressful, tiring and anxiety triggering. We had used the ‘T’ word, “toxic” to describe the overall effect of the leader’s existence for my client. It was interesting then to see that the US Army had made a decision about the use of the ‘T’ word.

Far from underplaying or denying the existence of what we commonly term ‘toxic leadership’, the US Army have recognised that the term has become a buzzword, with a lack of precise understanding of its meaning. It is hoped that the use of the term ‘counterproductive leadership’ provides a more comprehensive view, emphasising observable behaviours rather than leader intent.

For the recipient of this form of leadership, this change represents taking a deep breath, possibly seeking help, and trying to get beyond any instant emotional reactions which might include seeking to judge the leader’s intent.

My client was certainly emotional when we talked about their personal reactions to being led in a manner viewed to be toxic. As I sit here, it felt perhaps a little therapeutic for the client to express the emotions as they wanted. Its true that, as a buzzword, the term ‘toxic’ allows us to firmly establish the persecutor and the victim, to reframe those emotions in any other way at that time may have felt like I was shortchanging the client from that necessary response. What would other cultures do? What would we have to talk about in the bar after work if we didn’t have a pantomime villain of a Boss?

As the emotions recede, reflection of this clever change in meaning makes more sense. The US Army have taken intent out of the equation, leaning only on behavioural evidence, just like any good coaching session. Leaders are equipped (through a Leader Professional Development resource) to identify counterproductive leadership when it occurs, assess why it is occurring, when it occurs and address it productively under the theme, “Identify, Assess, Address”.

As a former Service Person, I know that counterproductive leadership is real. I have seen the effects on both the individual, the team and the organisation’s ability to get what is needed to be done, done. The military wasn’t exempted from counterproductive leadership but we were well equipped with written leadership responsibilities that made addressing counterproductive leadership a necessity, not to be avoided.

My client was mature, experienced and grounded as a leader in their own rights, yet they were unavoidably affected every day by a series of emotional reactions from the environment they worked in. It was explicitly clear to my client why the reactions were such. There was just a mix of micro-aggressive traits and a sense of unnecessary dominance that, when all was mixed and allowed to settle, reduced my client’s sense of self-worth, decreased motivations and created extreme levels of self-doubt and anxiety.

Of note, other employees had compared their own experiences and had gathered a very similar collective understanding of the leader’s behaviour. The issue had firmly been identified by almost all of my client’s colleagues within the same organisational level.

Identifying Counterproductive Leadership

There is a confronting philosophy within the military that shining a light on problems and bringing issues for difficult discussions maintains a standard of leadership that is expected. Counterproductive leadership is considered to be a serious abuse of authority.

What adverse effects have you witnessed from counterproductive leadership?

What are the emotional requirements for shining this light on counterproductive leadership and what structures are in place at your place of work to assist you?

Coaching helps you understand and reframe emotional responses. With this ability, you can regain energy and objectivity, hold new perspectives that were previously not possible and take the leadership of challenging situations, with confidence.