Unmasking the Behaviors That Hold Your Business Back
When leaders ignore certain behaviors, they silently approve them, eroding company culture. This episode reveals how overlooked actions, from aggressive communication to missed deadlines, can negatively impact your team. We discuss why leaders make excuses and offer actionable steps to identify and address these issues, helping you build a consistent and productive work environment where everyone thrives.
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE
Expand Your Leadership Skills.
Unmasking Leadership Behaviors That Hold Your Business Back
What makes a company truly strong and successful? A big part of it comes down to the everyday actions of its leaders. The workplace culture you have is only as good as the leadership behaviors you allow. When these behaviors aren't addressed, they cause problems, slow things down, and even derail what your company is trying to achieve.
At Revela, we believe that conscious leadership is a vital piece of the puzzle to a thriving organization. In a recent episode of our Leadership Hustle podcast, Andrea Fredrickson and Michelle Hill discussed the critical link between the leadership behaviors we allow and the overall health of our workplace culture. Explore how unaddressed actions can ripple through your team, impacting everything from psychological safety to your bottom line.
Examples of Tolerated Leadership Behaviors
To truly understand the impact of unaddressed issues, it helps to look at specific instances. These are the kinds of situations where problematic leadership behaviors are frequently overlooked, causing subtle but significant damage.
The "Untouchable" Performer
A common issue arises with the "untouchable" top performer. Hill shared a vivid story about a leading salesperson who, despite the company's focus on culture, consistently showed aggressive and accusatory leadership behaviors. This person would often blame others and refuse to admit fault.
The consequence? As Hill revealed, "When people would talk, you'd get feedback from people that it's just not a safe environment." Yet, because this person was their number one sales person, they were consistently tiptoed around.
Leaders frequently overlook problematic leadership behaviors due to concerns about sales and customer retention. Fredrickson supported this point with an example of a chief revenue officer whose "smart" and well-connected persona led his detrimental actions to go unaddressed. This puts individual achievement ahead of company values, severely impacting psychological safety and signaling inconsistent standards across team dynamics.
Subtle But Damaging Habits
Problematic leadership behaviors aren't always aggressive; sometimes they're subtle but just as harmful over time. Fredrickson shared an example of a long-term employee who was simply "mean" and only did what she wanted, ignoring tasks she disliked.
These small habits—like being late, missing deadlines, or needing constant reminders—slowly erode morale. Hill added that some seasoned employees resist new processes, such as using a new CRM, forcing colleagues to cover their gaps and waste time. Fredrickson also pointed out common excuses for poor planning, like blaming internet outages for last-minute tasks, which, when overlooked, normalize mediocrity and a lack of respect for others' efforts.
The "That's Just How They Are" Syndrome
Perhaps the most common rationalization for problematic leadership behaviors is the "that's just how they are" syndrome. Hill explained, "...you'll hear them talking about, well, they just don't know different or the famous one...they're just not the kindest individual. Oh, that's just kind of how they are. That's just them." This tendency to rationalize negative behaviors as mere personality quirks overlooks their detrimental impact on team dynamics.
Leaders often fall into this trap due to a positive personal view of the individual, leading to significant blind spots. As Hill elaborated, "...when we get to know someone and see the good side of them and the positives and the value they bring, we then at times don't always see the negatives." This perspective can prevent leaders from recognizing the negatives and when they have a ripple effect.
The Excuses Leaders Make
The reasons leaders tolerate these behaviors are varied. But they often stem from a mix of fear, misguided empathy, and a lack of clear boundaries. Some common excuses include:
"Their numbers are so good" / "They're so smart": This is the classic justification for overlooking a top performer's toxic leadership behaviors. It prioritizes individual output over the collective well-being and adherence to company values, ultimately sacrificing a healthy workplace culture for perceived short-term gains.
"They just don't know any different": This excuse, as highlighted by Hill, represents a failure to set clear expectations and provide necessary training or feedback. It shifts the blame from the leader's responsibility to the employee's perceived ignorance, hindering growth and accountability.
"I know you're busy": It’s a subtle way of giving them an excuse for something being late. This undermines accountability and creates a cycle where employees learn that deadlines are flexible if they have a convenient excuse.
"They just had a bad day": This excuse, particularly when used repeatedly for recurring negative leadership behaviors, ignores the underlying pattern. It dismisses systemic issues as isolated incidents, preventing genuine change and improvement.
Unwritten Rules and Inconsistent Standards
One of the most damaging aspects of tolerated behaviors is the emergence of "unwritten rules" and inconsistent standards. This manifests as different expectations for different employees regarding effective communication or responsiveness. Some might be expected to respond to emails immediately, others within 24 hours, without clear guidelines.
This kind of unfairness quickly erodes trust within the workplace culture. When we fail to hold everyone to the same standards—for example, by letting some people be late, miss deadlines, or communicate poorly—it creates resentment and makes leadership seem less legitimate.
The Consequences of Tolerated Behaviors
Overlooking problematic leadership behaviors comes with significant costs. These unaddressed actions can cause a ripple effect that undermines your workplace culture and long-term success.
Eroded Trust and Misaligned Culture
When leadership behaviors don't align with company values, new hires quickly experience a disconnect. This perception that the organization is not genuine in its stated commitment to its values fundamentally erodes trust and makes it challenging to build a cohesive workplace culture.
Loss of Top Talent
The most severe consequence is the departure of high-performing and engaged employees. These individuals become frustrated by unaddressed negative leadership behaviors and the burden of carrying colleagues who consistently underperform or act inappropriately.
A lack of accountability signals that undesirable behaviors are acceptable, driving away the very team members who embody your desired company values. Fredrickson agreed, noting, "...our best people get tired of the excuses."
Decreased Psychological Safety and Increased Drama
When problematic leadership behaviors are tolerated, psychological safety quickly erodes. Hill noted that when someone explodes in meetings and it's allowed to continue, people eventually feel "...this is not the place for me...The psychological safety goes away."
This lack of safety fuels drama, as Fredrickson observed, as "...everybody's talking about why so-and-so gets away with it." Such gossip and resentment drain productive energy. Even worse, new team members are often "indoctrinated" into this negative workplace culture by hearing others' complaints before experiencing it for themselves.
Taking Action and Elevating Your Leadership Culture
At Revela, we believe understanding the issue is only the beginning. Concrete action is required to transform your leadership culture.
Conduct a Behavior Inventory
Start by honestly reflecting on leadership behaviors that cause frustration or hinder productivity within your team or the broader organization. Then, extend this self-reflection outwards.
Ask direct reports: In a safe and confidential one-on-one setting, ask, "What behaviors do you notice I'm tolerating that might be impacting the team?" Fredrickson suggested framing it as, "I know I have blind spots and there are things that I am letting other people do that you see, and I'm not. It's not even hitting my radar."
Ask peers: Similarly, engage with your peers: "What do you notice that I'm tolerating, or what are my blind spots?"
Create a safe space: Crucially, demonstrate genuine openness to criticism. Let people know "why" you're asking for feedback in advance, so they can prepare, preventing them from freezing on the spot. When feedback is given, resist the urge to give an excuse or rationalize. Simply say, "thank you" and ask for examples to help you "tune in."
Re-establish Clear Expectations
Ambiguity breeds tolerance. It's essential to clearly communicate what is expected in terms of behaviors, deadlines, and effective communication. Be explicit and define what is non-negotiable within your workplace culture. You should also reinforce accountability by reducing "reminders" that enable a lack of personal responsibility. This empowers employees to take ownership.
Consistent Follow-Up and Coaching
Expectations without follow-up are meaningless. Consistency is key to changing leadership behaviors and building a strong team dynamic.
Acknowledge and thank: When individuals meet expectations or demonstrate improved behaviors, acknowledge and thank them. Positive reinforcement is powerful.
Address non-compliance directly: When expectations are not met, address it directly and consistently. This is where true coaching comes into play. Provide constructive feedback aimed at improving behaviors.
Recognize limits: If behaviors do not change despite consistent coaching, further action may be necessary to protect the integrity of your workplace culture.
Building a Stronger Leadership Culture
The health and success of your organization's workplace culture are a direct result of accepted leadership behaviors. By actively identifying and confronting these issues, leaders can foster a much healthier, more productive, and psychologically safe environment for everyone.
At Revela, we believe that every leader has the power to cultivate a thriving workplace culture through deliberate action. To dive deeper into how you can transform leadership culture and empower your team dynamics, listen to the rest of our Leadership Hustle podcast!
About the Hosts
Andrea Fredrickson
Andrea Fredrickson is a thought leader and consultant at Revela, an organization based in Omaha, Nebraska specializing in the development of leaders, culture alignment, and business strategy for private and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness. Andrea has built an amazing team by believing that fundamentally people want to be successful and become better versions of themselves.
-
Andrea has degrees in education, management, and business. She is the author of Insight Unseen; How to lead with 20/20 business vision. She helps people see things differently, self-reflect, and never stop looking for ways to improve themselves on a personal and professional level. Andrea has spent more than 30 years researching and developing methods to help people communicate and lead more effectively.
When Andrea isn’t working with clients, you’ll find her spending time with her family & friends and making memories by exploring new cities.
Michelle Hill
Michelle Hill is a master facilitator and coach at Revela, an organization specializing in the development of leaders and aligning the culture of privately held and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness.
-
An ambitious leader, Michelle has the natural ability to create forward momentum to build teams and get results. She inspires others to look within themselves and to challenge the status quo. She helps create high-performing environments. Michelle brings a diverse background: operations, employee development, and sales in the steel, hospitality, and consulting industries.
Outside of work, you will see her competitive side engaged in her daughter’s sports and ISU athletics. She loves life, her four-legged companions, and captures all the moments through her camera’s lens.
TRANSCRIPT
Andrea: And we are today talking about a truth that leaders understand but rarely act on. And that is a belief. Well, let's not even talking about. Let's not even tolerate a belief. It's a truth that the culture that you have in your company is only as good as the behaviors that you tolerate. In fact, that's a question that I or a statement I will give people in leadership sessions and have them talk about it. And the the noise that erupts out of that conversation is oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. And there'sall these behaviors that um, either they're seeing coworkers or their leadership demonstrate and not addressing. And then eventually we get to talk about them. Yeah. Right.