Leadership Influence In The Workplace

US-based employers: over the next few weeks, you're either working around the clock with your managers to protect the healthy norms you've worked hard to create—or watching in dismay as your workplace falls apart. You might have your norms written down on a wall somewhere, and think that's enough to weather this storm. Not even close. You can say the words "collaboration," "respect," "inclusion," and "kindness" all you want, but it's what happens in every team when those norms are violated that defines what kind of organization you are. ⚠️ When team members refuse to communicate with their colleagues who voted for a different candidate, are your managers prepared? ⚠️ When people denigrate or insult their colleagues in Slack or Teams messages or in the chatbox on a video call, are your managers prepared? ⚠️ When a "high performing employee" decides to express prejudiced, exclusionary, and discriminatory ideas about protected groups, are your managers prepared? In workplaces around the country and around the world, these kinds of incidents are far from novel. But when flashpoints happen, like a major election, the fragile balance of a workplace culture is easily upended. Each and every violation that occurs is a test of the norms that workplace leaders purport to have, and when employers fail that test, the consequences can be disastrous—disrupting everyday work, destroying trust in leadership, poisoning team morale and culture, and more. Managers make or break that possibility. 🌱 Your managers must be prepared to mediate conflict. ⛔ Your managers must be prepared to articulate what behavior is tolerated and what isn't. ⚖️ Your managers must be prepared to hold others and themselves accountable for when harm occurs and norms are violated. ⛈️ Your managers must be prepared to support and manage negative emotions, anger, frustration, and grief among their teams. 🚀 Your managers must be prepared to lead by example, even through their own strong opinions or feelings. 📢 And every executive must be prepared to support their managers by establishing expectations from the top, communicating transparently about resources and support options, and coaching managers who need help reaching that standard. If your workplace has taken this challenge seriously, it's already been preparing in this way for weeks and months. But even if you're only starting today, it's never too late to lead.

𝐒𝐢𝐱 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞. 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐞—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞. I believed leadership meant setting direction and ensuring alignment. But over time—I’ve come to see that real leadership isn’t just about strategy. It’s about 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. That truth has never been more relevant than it is today. For the first time in modern history, 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞. It’s a leadership challenge few of us were trained for. 🔹 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (pre-1946): Still serving on boards; shaped by duty and discipline. 🔹 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 (1946–1964): ~12% of today’s workforce; value stability, loyalty, and legacy. 🔹 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐗 (1965–1980): ~27%; independent, pragmatic, delivery-focused. 🔹 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 (1981–1996): ~34%; purpose-driven, collaborative, growth-oriented. 🔹 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐙 (1997–2012): ~27%; inclusive, tech-native, values transparency. 🔹 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 (post-2012): The emerging workforce—digital-first, fast-learning, entrepreneurial. These differences show up in how we work: → Senior leaders value hierarchy; Gen Z favors flat structures. → Boomers seek recognition; Gen X wants autonomy; Millennials want meaning; Gen Z asks, “𝘞𝘩𝘺?” → Gen Alpha? They're learning, building, and questioning earlier than ever. What feels like friction is often just generational dissonance. In a recent HBR piece, put it well: “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.” That’s the shift we need as leaders: From uniformity → to personalization From authority → to empathy From legacy leadership → to 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 leadership I now ask myself not just, “Am I leading well?” but “Am I leading 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺?” Because when we adapt our style—not our standards—we help every generation contribute at their best. Great leadership today means adapting with intention and embracing what makes each generation thrive. 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Connecting individual roles to a broader organizational mission fosters engagement across all generations. 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Recognize and adapt to the preferred communication styles of each generation to enhance collaboration. 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Offering flexibility can address the diverse needs and expectations of a multigenerational team. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: Promote a culture of lifelong learning to support professional development for all age groups. What shift have you made to better lead across generations? #HarveysLeadershipRhythms #ThoughtsWithHarvey #ExecutiveLeadership #TheLeadershipSignal #GenerationalLeadership #LeadershipReflections #LeadWithIntention #MultigenerationalWorkforce #LeadershipCue #Mentorship

Leadership Is a Conversation, Not a Throne If it’s lonely at the top, it’s because you’ve built walls instead of bridges. Leadership today is no longer about sitting on a throne of decisions. It is about creating a table where conversations happen, especially the difficult ones. The best leaders I’ve worked with don’t isolate themselves. They invite others in. They listen, even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable. Some still argue, “Leadership isn’t a popularity contest.” True. But it is a trust-building exercise. And trust is built through engagement, not intimidation. Fear may get short-term compliance, but it kills long-term performance. It silences voices, stifles creativity, and leaves the leader with nothing but their own echo. I’ve learned that even your harshest critics can be your greatest teachers if you let them. When decisions are made through dialogue, not decree, the burden is shared. The team understands the why, not just the what. And when they understand, they commit. Yes, the final accountability still rests with the leader. But it is easier to carry when you know your team is not just behind you, but beside you. Leadership is not about being alone. It is about being in conversation, with your team, your values, and the future you are trying to build together.

Every company makes this mistake. They take their top performer, the best deal-closer, the most brilliant strategist, the sharpest mind in the room and promote them into leadership. And then? Everything falls apart. - Not because they lack skills. - Not because they don’t work hard. - But because they can’t take feedback. So, stop promoting high performers into leadership roles unless they have this 1 quality: the ability to take feedback constructively. Because brilliance without humility is a leadership disaster. We’ve all seen it. + The high performer who hates being challenged. + The brilliant mind who dismisses feedback. + The rising star who refuses to admit when they’re wrong. And suddenly, they’re leading a team, where their ego kills growth and their defensiveness shuts down innovation. Patty McCord, in Netflix’s legendary Culture Deck, made this clear: No brilliant jerks. Because if someone’s talent comes at the cost of an environment where others can’t speak up, grow, or challenge ideas, it’s not leadership. It’s toxicity. Before you promote someone, ask: ✅ Can they take feedback without getting defensive? ✅ Can they admit when they’re wrong and adjust? ✅ Can they create a culture where others feel safe to challenge them? Because leadership isn’t about being the smartest in the room. It’s about being self-aware enough to acknowledge mistakes and course-correct. The best leaders aren’t just talented, they’re open-minded. They don’t shut down when confronted. They adjust, learn, and make the team stronger. So before you promote your top performer, ask yourself: Can they take feedback without taking it personally? Because if they can’t, they’re not ready. #thoughtleadership #growthmindset #futureofwork

Leadership is not about power or vision.  This model reminds us that leadership is, above all, social. Every decision we make, every meeting we attend, every word we speak, affects how others feel about their place, their safety, and their belonging. David Rock’s SCARF model captures these subtle yet powerful dynamics in five simple words: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. They may sound abstract, but they define the emotional context in which people work. When any of these needs are threatened, the brain reacts as if to physical danger. When they are respected and strengthened, people become open, creative, and engaged. As leaders, we can shape that experience every day. → By recognizing someone’s contribution, we affirm their STATUS.  → By communicating clearly and consistently, we build CERTAINTY. → By giving people influence over their work, we nurture AUTONOMY.  → By showing genuine interest and care, we strengthen RELATEDNESS.  → By treating people with integrity and transparency, we reinforce FAIRNESS. These are not "soft" or optional factors. They form the essential foundation of trust, motivation, and collaboration. When we design meetings, feedback, teams, systems, and organizations with SCARF in mind, we do not just improve morale or team spirit. We create the psychological safety that allows performance and purpose to actually happen and thrive. Which of these five factors requires more attention in your organization?

I met one of my General Electric (GE) staff from years ago over dinner. He remembered vividly his first day at work. The pressure of working in Jack Welch’s GE was a burdensome weight. He asked what were my expectations of him. Apparently, I said something like “Do all the great stuff you did at Motorola. Everyone in GE wants to know what you know about 6 Sigma. You don’t just know it, you lived it. You are our guru.” These words washed away his insecurities because he was reminded of his experience, his value and my confidence in him. In Pygmalion in Management, J. Sterling Livingston wrote, “Some managers always treat their subordinates in a way that leads to superior performance. But most … unintentionally treat their subordinates in a way that leads to lower performance than they are capable of achieving. The way managers treat their subordinates is subtly influenced by what they expect of them. If manager’s expectations are high, productivity is likely to be excellent. If their expectations are low, productivity is likely to be poor. It is as though there were a law that caused subordinates’ performance to rise or fall to meet managers’ expectations.” So employees’ confidence in their abilities can be influenced by the expectations of their managers. And even if those expectations are biased and absent of objective assessment they still have the power to affect employees and determine what happens. Why? Because when their managers genuinely believe in their abilities, employees avoid the pitfalls of low expectations and are motivated to give their best. Granted we can’t do everything just because someone expects us to. When managers set the bar too high, employees can be discouraged and some may not even try. Stretch goals and high expectations are beneficial up to the point of diminishing returns. Research by McClelland and Atkinson indicates that the Pygmalion effect drops off if one sees the chance of success as being less than 50%. However, when employees believe their performance can match their managers’ expectations they will achieve more. This belief in themselves is stimulated by their manager’s words, and by their positive body language, appreciation, empowerment and feedback. When managers believe their people can deliver, and the goals are challenging but achievable, people will strive to prove them right! I accept this completely because I had a manager, Steve Kerr, who believed in me. He was the world’s first Chief Learning Officer, a title bestowed on him by Jack Welch, GE’s CEO and Chairman. I was so grateful to Steve that I decided to honour him by doing to others what he did to me. That was more than 25 years ago. I am still doing it.  

Visible leadership isn't just about grand speeches and printed materials. It's about walking the talk. It's about embodying the culture you want to build. If you talk about collaboration, jump in to help when it gets busy. If innovation is key, celebrate risk-taking, even when it fails. This sends a powerful message. Actions speak louder than any memo ever could. When leaders walk the walk, it creates a ripple effect. Employees see what's truly valued and start to align their own behaviors. Visible leadership is especially crucial during times of change. It provides a steady compass, showing everyone where the company's headed. It also: • Builds trust. • Makes people feel invested. • Fosters a sense of belonging. Remember, company culture isn't built in a meeting room. It's shaped by the everyday actions of your leaders.

The Hidden Cost of Poor Leadership (It's not just performance. It's mental health.) A global survey of 3,400 employees by the Workforce Institute at UKG found that 69% of people say their manager has more impact on their mental health than even doctors (51%) and therapists (41%). Because managers don’t just manage deliverables. They shape how safe, seen, and supported you feel at work. The wrong manager can create anxiety, doubt, and disconnection. The right one? Can unlock energy, creativity, and growth. Here are 5 subtle but powerful ways managers influence mental health - And what conscious leaders do differently: 1️⃣ Micro-control → Erodes trust Every task questioned, every decision second-guessed. It tells people: I don’t trust you. ✅ Do this instead: Shift from control to clarity. Give context, not just instructions - and space for autonomy. 2️⃣ Lack of feedback → Creates anxiety Silence doesn’t feel neutral. It feels like uncertainty. Unspoken feedback becomes internalized fear. ✅ Do this instead: Normalize feedback as care. Make it frequent, specific, and forward-looking. 3️⃣ Unclear expectations → Fuel confusion and self-doubt When goals shift without warning, or roles are blurry, people question their worth. ✅ Do this instead: Set clear priorities and revisit them regularly. Clarity = psychological safety. 4️⃣ No recognition → Kills motivation When effort goes unseen, people stop showing up fully. They start surviving instead of thriving. ✅ Do this instead: Celebrate wins - big and small. People don’t need trophies. They need to feel seen. 5️⃣ Emotional inconsistency → Creates instability Mood-based leadership keeps people on edge. They start managing you instead of their work. ✅ Do this instead: Regulate yourself before you lead others. Stability is a gift you give your team. ✨ Leadership isn’t just what you do. It’s how people feel around you. 👉 Lead like it affects their nervous system - because it does. What’s one leadership habit that makes you feel safe? 🔁 Repost if you believe leading well is part of caring well. ➕ Follow Bhavna Toor for more on conscious leadership.

My mentee's resignation letter was professionally crafted. Two weeks' notice. Gratitude for the experience. Standard corporate-speak about pursuing new challenges. But in our coaching session, the real story emerged… "I can't do this anymore," she said. "I spend more energy managing egos and avoiding landmines than actually doing my job." Here's what most exit interviews never capture: People don't leave companies because of the work. They leave because of politics. Her breaking point came during a project that should have taken 2 weeks but stretched to 3 months because: → The VP needed to feel involved, so every decision required his "input" (which usually contradicted the previous input) → Two departments were fighting over budget ownership, so nothing could move forward until someone "won" → Her direct manager was too scared to make decisions without consensus from people who weren't even stakeholders → The loudest voice in every meeting belonged to someone who contributed nothing but criticism "I became a hostage negotiator instead of a product manager," she told me. Through our coaching work, we dissected how toxic politics systematically destroys good people: ▪️ The energy drain: Instead of solving customer problems, you're solving personality conflicts. ▪️ The creativity killer: Innovation dies when every idea must survive a gauntlet of territorial disputes and ego protection. ▪️ The trust erosion: When information becomes currency and transparency becomes liability, collaboration becomes impossible. ▪️ The talent hemorrhage: The best people leave first because they have options. What remains is either those who can't leave or those who thrive on dysfunction. Six months later, she landed a role where decisions were made based on data, not politics. Where disagreement was productive, not personal. Where her energy went toward building products, not managing personalities. Her new manager's approach? "Here's the problem. Here are the resources. Here's the timeline. Go solve it." No committees. No power struggles. No ego management. Just work. The most telling indicator of a toxic political environment? When your best performers start saying "I'm just here to do my job" instead of "I'm here to make an impact." Organizations that wonder why they can't retain top talent should look at their meeting dynamics, decision-making processes, and how much time employees spend on politics versus productivity. The real cost of office politics isn't the projects that get delayed. It's the people who get destroyed. Have you ever left a role because of politics rather than the actual work? What was the moment you realized the environment was unsalvageable? #WorkplacePolitics #ToxicCulture #TalentRetention #OrganizationalHealth