Everybody knows bad leadership can be costly.

It leads to turnover, workplace stress, and decreased cooperation, costing businesses billions yearly. But can leadership kill?

Many of us have attended keynotes or workshops that focus on plane crashes. We listen in on the final flight deck conversations between the chilling co-pilots and captains, which crash. Chilling, not just because you hear the crash, was avoidable.

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell talks about cultural power-distance gaps and how they contribute to plane crashes and near-miss accidents. And as a frequent flyer, I am glad steps are being taken to reduce power differentials in the cockpit. They are focusing on precisely the right thing: leadership behaviour.

But what about cultures of leadership that kill in less apparent ways than a dramatic air crash?

I think you will find Dr. Greta G. Cummings of the University of Alberta’s YouTube presentation of interest, where she quantifies the impact of leaders of healthcare centres on patient mortality.

Astoundingly her study shows that poor leadership styles contribute to a 6% mortality rate in healthcare facilities.

That is, 6 out of 100 deaths are directly connected to ambiguous communication styles and expectations of the facility’s leadership.

Maybe the impact of unhealthy leadership in your organization is not as dire as to result in a death …

 But what is bad behaviour costing?

I was challenged by a regular reader of my blog.

She is a middle manager struggling with a large company where the executive team drives everything that goes on in the organization. 

Her question: how can I help my organization if I’m not the CEO? 

I have two answers for her and you. 

First, while you may not be the CEO, you influence your part of the organization. 

How To Lead Without Responsibility

By focusing on how to impact your department two things are going to happen: you’ll get a sense of accomplishment as you see progress, and your circle of influence will begin to grow as people will see what you’re doing and they may ask you to help them. 

Secondly, most great leaders appreciate and need someone to tell them the “truth” about what is going on within the organization and how they can be better leaders and managers. 

If you can find the courage to tell a leader what he or she needs to hear with humility and respect, you’ll be shocked at how often those leaders appreciate and even listen to your advice. 

Of course, it is entirely up to them whether they accept you say, but that’s not your problem.  And, in my experience, a good boss will rarely cause you any negative repercussions. 

Being Courageous

And even if there were to be a cost for speaking the truth, it is better knowing that now so you can think about finding work where leaders reward people for having the courage to make the organization better.

It couldn’t be said more simply than this Quora response:

Knowledge is knowing a desert path is 16 kilometres long.

Wisdom is building a lemonade stand at kilometre 6.

To run a healthy organization, a leader must place a higher premium on wisdom over knowledge.

It seems that we spend most of our time acquiring information and not enough time thinking about what to do with it.  

How do leaders gain wisdom?

First, stop spending so much time acquiring knowledge.

Leaders who are constantly consuming industry information and the latest trends can become distracted by what is new and shiny.  

Instead of searching for a magic bullet, the best leaders spend more time with their leadership team members:

1. Ensuring there is a clear and widely understood strategic vision;
2. Implementing plans to meet their objectives and ensure that the efficiencies and effectiveness achieved support delivery of the vision; and,
3. Monitoring and maintaining a laser-like focus on its strategic goals and objectives.

There is no argument for professional ignorance.   

But, there is an argument for knowing how to take the collective knowledge of the organization, apply the right amount of wisdom to put it to good use.

“Knowledge is understanding that a tomato is a fruit.  Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”  

Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room, or the smartest person in the company.

It is about not putting tomatoes in the fruit salad, leaving employees wondering “how could someone be so stupid?”

We have all had one of those days – lots on our plate – and your Boss show up at your door without a coffee for you and says “Sorry to interrupt how about those Blue Jays? Oh Yeah, one more thing. We need to add something to that Bloggins’ project.”

Let’s break that down:

“Sorry to interrupt.” – Translation: They aren’t even remotely sorry

“One more thing.” – Translation: A big add-on but DON’T go overtime and meeting all your other priorities.

“We need to add…” – Translation: “You need to do.”

The next time someone tries to put more work on your shoulders—when you’re already at max capacity—here’s how to respond to a:

Supervisor or Manager:

I can take this on, but I’d like to review something with you before I proceed.

Right now, my current priorities are: [list them in order].

Would you like this new assignment to be my top priority?

If so, that’s no problem, but it means that all my other projects will get completed slightly later.

I can create a timeline of when everything will be completed if that’s helpful to you.

Thanks!

Colleague:

I can help you with this. However, right now I am working on a different project that’s a top priority for my department.

I’m working on a deadline, and I need to stay focused and keep progressing.

I’ll be able to switch gears and attend to your request [at/on] [time / date].

Thank you for understanding!

Client:

Thanks for [writing / stopping by]. I can help you with this.

But first, let’s talk about the other items that I’m currently working on for you.

Right now, I’m working on: [list them in order].

If we add this new piece to the list, I’ll need to bill you for an additional [$$$].

It also means that the timeline we initially agreed upon will need to shift. [describe the new dates, timing, etc.]

Are you OK with the additional cost and new timeline?

If so, [tell me / write back to say]: “Greenlight! Go!”

Remember, whoever is making this “ridiculous and unreasonable” request is probably just as swamped and stressed out as you are or it could be a genuine crisis. In either case, these scripts might not be appropriate, so have some empathy and try to be compassionate.

No matter how colleagues choose to communicate with you (rudely, coldly, crazily), you can still be professional and polite when you respond.

Be patient. Stay cool. Speak firmly.

You’re a senior leader in an age of unrelenting change.

And you know your organization needs to undergo a major change to remain profitable and viable.

You’ve committed significant organizational power to prepare for the change. You are there and ready, but is your team?

Watch the video about why your team is scared stupid about change.

How Can You Assess Readiness for Change?

Leaders underestimate the effort it will take to implement and sustain organizational change and the operational and people issues that can derail any change.

They are so caught up in keeping the business operational and profitable that they fail to take the time to sufficiently plan change.

Is My Organization Ready for Change?

You must get answers to the following three questions:

1. How ready are the leaders in my company for the change?

Are your direct reports truly committed to supporting this change or are they just giving lip service?

How your managers feel about the proposed changes as change efforts stall at lower management levels in the organization. Can you answer the following questions?

• Are your direct reports effective sponsors for this change?
• Do managers in your organization communicate effectively with their team members?
• Which managers will be major obstacles to implementing this change?

You may be surprised to learn how much work your managers need before you begin an organizational change and that some restructuring may be necessary.

2. How ready is my organization for this change?

Even though you have the support of enough critical stakeholders to make a meaningful organizational change. You may not get the change outcomes that you need because your company is not ready for change because of its various policies, practices, and working culture.

You will need to determine how ready your organization is for change are the following:

• Does your organization measures business performance?
• Does this change effort support the whole organization?
• Does your organizational culture reward or punish innovation, taking risks, and solving problems?

You’ll want to look at your existing processes, employees, and suppliers and assess whether they are ready for the change you need to make.

3. How ready are my employees for this organizational change?

Employees are critical to the successful implementation of any change effort. When employees are not ready for change and are forced to do so by management, they will resist.

This resistance can range from indifference (loss of interest in their work), to passive (doing only what they are told to do), and to active (sabotaging the effort with deliberate errors or by slowing down).

To minimize employee resistance, you will need to determine how ready your employees are for change by asking:

• • • Do your employees understand your customers’ needs?
    • What is the state of employee morale in the organization?
    • Do your employees feel personally responsible for their success in the organization?

 Download Your 9 Question Readiness Assessment by Clicking Here

By assessing the readiness of your managers, organization, and your employees before launching a change, you will have a realistic overview of what is needed to implement successful organizational change.

And you’ll understand the sustained time and commitment needed to undertake a meaningful organizational change in your company.

Being a leader is about understanding what is going on around you.

In the military, it is called ‘Situational Awareness,’ Often, the people with the most pertinent information about the situation are those working for you.

Questions are powerful tools, and knowing how to wield them precisely is key to becoming a better leader.

How to ask?

If it’s about asking the questions, how do you ask the right questions in the right way?

1. Ask these questions like you care & want to know the answers. You’re not reading from a script; ask with authenticity.
2. You asked, so be prepared to hear answers that you may not like, but time to listen — openly and honestly.
3. The answer you need may not happen the first time you try. But if you ask sincerely and humbly, you will build trust & confidence. So ask regularly, and the quality of the information you gather will improve.

Read about the six things you need to communicate

What to ask?

1. What is your biggest accomplishment this month?

Why?

• This question provides a sense of forward motion and progress.
• When workers relate positive information, it gives them a sense of personal accomplishment.
• Answers give you both oversight and performance improvement potential.
• You have a measure if people contribute in the ways you need them to.

2. What’s your biggest challenge right now?

Why?

• You can begin to understand where the worker is struggling.
• You can learn about pinch points in an employee’s process, work, or company culture.
• It puts your conversation into problem-solving mode because when you know where your team member is struggling, you can do something about it.

Read how not to Eff Up talking to your people.

3. What things should we do differently, or what processes can we improve?

Why?

• People understand that things can be done differently, so being open to feedback from ‘below’ can be invaluable.
• When team members recognize that they can provide value beyond their job description, you can harness this power to improve the company.
• You may not always act on every suggestion, but you’re going to discover some things that genuinely need to change.

4. What resources would be helpful to you right now?

Why?

• By using the word “resources,” you’re opening the door beyond money.
• What you might think employees need is often different from what they want.
• Don’t assume the solution is more people or money, trust the people working on the project to understand what will solve the issue.

Read about how to listen.

5. Is there anything I can help you with?

Why?

• It lets your employees know you’re a human and care about their success and well-being.
• It allows you to understand any personal factors that may influence their work.
• It demonstrates you’re a real human being.
• You improve your working relationship with them by showing sincere interest in their life and improvement.