Leadership by Unconscious Fear

One of the most egregious errors of leadership is leadership by unconscious fear.  People in leadership positions who are not self-aware, are not leaders, but liabilities to the organisation or company they lead.  This sense of fear clouds their judgment, and impedes their ability to manage people and resources, which creates further problems in the hierarchy. 

This blind spot also extends to others in the leadership structure, because bad habits are contagious.  One way they are contagious is when inadequate leaders, drive by their unconscious fears, surround themselves with others who mirror those fears.  None of them are self-aware about this.  This may extend to hiring and firing, promotions, and how personnel are deployed.  This creates a threat-based environment where people who are competent or merely different, are seen as threats to the hierarchy or status quo.  There are three main types of fears that bedevil leaders, and affect their leadership. 

The first, and most prevalent, is the fear of the unknown, or unpredictability.  This is manifested in the inability to make strategic decisions without creating insurance policies, such as seeking permission for the most mundane administrative decisions, or delegating important decisions to subordinates so that they can take the blame in the event of failure.  Anyone who cannot handle the responsibility of leading in a crisis is not a good leader, and should never be in a position where he has to make strategic decisions.  These people have been promoted above their calibre.  Organisations address this by either removing them, assigning them an advisory team, or calving off certain responsibilities to another person better able to handle that pressure, while the inadequate leader learns on the job.  In general, the most efficient way out is to simply replace them. 

The second is the fear of failure, or the sense of being unworthy.  This is not related to ability, but to self-esteem.  It is important to embrace failure as part of that learning journey of being a leader.  Our worth is earned through actions, and a track record; it is cemented through integrity and honesty.  This is easily addressed.  This is where leadership mentoring has a place since almost every person, stepping into a new, daunting role, has a sense of trepidation.  A bit of self-doubt is helpful, in that it pushes people to seek advise, and reconsider before making brash decisions.  This is preferable to having an incompetent who is certain and brave. 

Finally, there is a fear of looking small, of rejection.  This is related to the fear of failure, but it manifests differently.  People who fear looking small, and losing out, consciously or subconsciously sabotage their team, and anybody who could outshine them.  This breeds stagnation and ossification, and this is how organisations die and companies fail.  In most cases, leader are not aware of this, and this can be addressed through team building exercises that focus on a realignment of values.  In the event that there is leadership that cannot be re-educated, they should be removed immediately, because they are inclement to the development of talent. 

Competent leaders are not born.  They are shaped by the challenges they face, and refined by mentorship, training, and continuous education.  People are held back from being good leaders by their own limitations.  In an ideal world, everyone can be challenged to do better, to be better.  That is not the reality.  We must consider the cost benefit analysis.  Some are worth developing; some should be removed.