For the past 15 years, superheroes have saturated our screens. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, Marvel began its mission to dominate the global box office with a series of interconnected superhero movies. And it succeeded beyond all expectations. The latest movie, The Marvels, is their 33rd superhero film in what's called the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

But superheroes have held audiences captivated for a lot longer than that. The first Superman comic book was published in 1938, followed by Batman just a year later. Audiences have been ready for the MCU for nearly 100 years. But why do we love them so much? And what lessons can they teach us?

The Super Team 

Superheroes look like us but they’re better – stronger, faster, smarter, luckier, and they look good in spandex. Despite their extra powers, they still fight against insurmountable odds, battling equally strong intergalactic baddies hell-bent on humanity’s destruction.  

Superheroes offer a sense of hope and inspiration. They’re something to look up to when things seem overwhelming. They take on the impossible and win. And, increasingly, they do it as a team. Egos may clash and tempers fray, but, on many an occasion, they win because they work together. 

Leadership Lessons From Superheroes 

It’s not easy to do, but when you’re a leader of an organization or team, there are many crucial behaviors you need to embody to succeed. Good leadership is about so much more than telling people what to do – and superheroes demonstrate some of the most important of these leadership qualities.

Here is a selection of some classic superheroes, and what they can teach us about how to be a good leader.  

Spiderman: Responsibility

Sure, Spiderman climbs walls and swings between skyscrapers, but his central guiding principle is one we can all adopt – responsibility.

When New York teenager Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider he becomes Spiderman. He uses his newfound powers to fight crime for the good of the city residents. His deep sense of commitment to helping others is summed up in his calling card, “your friendly neighborhood Spiderman!” He’s here to serve, to do good for his community.

But the most famous of Spiderman’s lines was coined in a 1962 comic: “with great power comes great responsibility.” Dubbed "the Peter Parker Principle," this concept has been alive since the time of the ancient Greeks – but it took a comic book to best formulate the maxim.

Leadership lesson: The possession of power brings with it a moral imperative to do good by others. A good leader knows this and they live the Peter Parker Principle in everything they do.

Batman: Resourcefulness and Planning

The most famous superhero with no actual superpowers, Batman is a brooding loner who moves in the shadows. Not the ideal leader, you might think. But what Batman lacks in people skills and power, he makes up for with "smarts": he always has a plan, he’s ready for anything, and he can adapt.

He keeps the criminals and supervillains of Gotham in check through tactical planning and a clever allocation and deployment of his resources. He doesn’t need superpowers to lead and succeed.

Leadership lesson: Leadership is about being ready for anything. Pragmatism in the face of change and a keen eye for spotting what’s around the corner mean that a leader won’t be caught by surprise. In a fast-changing, unstable world, having plans and procedures in place for when things go wrong is often crucial to the success of a project, and the health of a whole organization.

The Hulk: Keeping Your Cool

You won’t like him when he’s angry. I’m not talking about your ex-boss but Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk.

One fateful day, Banner accidentally absorbed unhealthy levels of gamma rays, and now whenever he gets mad he becomes the Hulk – a giant green mass of rage. But, in the most recent movies, the Hulk learns to control his anger and channel it for good.

Leadership lesson: As a leader, it’s no use exploding at everything and anyone around you when things don’t go your way. Yes, you might get angry sometimes. But learning to accept and deal with it is a crucial skill for leaders. By default of your position, your team will look to you for guidance and see you as an example. You need to adopt the behaviors you want to see in them.

Black Panther: Protecting Your People

Like his father before him, T’Challa takes up the mantle of Black Panther – the protector of Wakanda, a super technologically advanced African nation.

With vast reserves of the precious resource vibranium, Wakanda has remained secretive to avoid the interest of greedy outsiders. Black Panther uses his significant abilities to keep his people safe, fighting invaders as well as dealing with internal instability. T’Challa fights for his people and never gives up on them.

Leadership lesson: A leader is a leader by virtue of the people they lead. Good leaders know that, and they know they are there to protect and serve. When people feel like a leader has their back, their confidence will increase and they’re more likely to do their best work – and they won’t be looking at the door for a better opportunity elsewhere.

The Fantastic Four: Embracing Teamwork

Before the Avengers, before Guardians of the Galaxy, there were The Fantastic Four – the first ever superhero family unit.

After an unfortunate overexposure of cosmic rays, four scientist friends get transformed into superheroes, each with a unique ability. While Mister Fantastic started out as the clear leader in the comic books, over time the hierarchy gave way to a more collaborative approach to saving the world. The team became very much that – a team.

Leadership lesson: A good leader works collaboratively. They recognize the value of teamwork. It’s a cliché, but a team is greater than the sum of its parts, and a project is better served by a fully functioning team than a series of individuals working in isolation.

Professor X: Delegation

In the world of X-Men, some people are born with a "mutant" genome. Considered different from regular folk, mutants have a tricky time fitting in to regular society. Professor Xavier does his best to help, including establishing the X-Men – a team of mutants who fight evil and the fallout of mutant prejudice.

Professor X is the leader of the X-Men, but he lets the rest of the team get on with the real work. He's gathered the best people together, given them a clear mission, and then stepped aside to let them do their thing.

Leadership lesson: Leaders know when to take a step back. It can be one of the hardest things to do, especially when a project, team, or even whole company is your brainchild. But there comes a time when you have to let go. Empower your team and you'll be surprised at what they can achieve.

(If you’re struggling with this, you might be facing an "autonomy" crisis as your organization grows. This is a normal stage in the evolution of a growing company. See our article on the Greiner Curve to learn about phases of growth an organization goes through.)

Bonus Superhero Leadership Lessons

Even the more questionable type of super folk have lessons to offer. Here are two.

Deadpool: Have Fun

Brought to life on the big screen by actor Ryan Reynolds, the “Merc [mercenary] With a Mouth” has become a fan favourite in recent years for his irreverent yet loving send-up of the superhero genre. With a never-ending arsenal of witty one-liners, Deadpool wastes no time in upending and deriding the tropes of superhero stories. He doesn’t so much nod to the camera as reach through it and slap you in the face.

Leadership lesson: Don’t take everything too seriously. This is work. Yes, you’re responsible for people and budgets and bottom lines, but it’s still work. You don’t want to be an energy drainer, either. If people are relaxed and happy, they’ll perform better. Let them take their cue from you.

Thanos: Be Realistic

A few too many Marvel fans seemed to think that Thanos – the giant purple supervillain alien – was on to something when he planned to wipe out half of all living things in the universe in the Marvel Avengers films.

Perhaps he was motivated by a certain kind of misplaced care, but, luckily, the Marvel Avengers recognized it was a somewhat flawed approach and found a way to undo it and save the universe.

Leadership lesson: Don't be a Thanos. When you’ve got a goal and you’ve put time, resources and energy into executing it, it can be hard to admit when it’s not going well. Never be afraid to change your plans when things go wrong or to adapt when things change. People will respect you for it.

Be a Superhero Leader

Leadership isn’t about being the best in the room. Leadership is about getting the best from others. Good leaders know that their role is to make other people shine. They show the way by setting the tone and engendering a positive culture within a team.

If you do that, you’ll be a real superhero in your organization.

Useful Resources on Leadership

Here is a selection of resources on leadership from Mind Tools. (Please note, for some resources you may need to be a Mind Tools member to gain access.)

How Good Are Your Leadership Skills? (Quiz)

Marvel's Legendary Turnaround (Case Study)

Leadership Styles (Article)

What Is Leadership? (Article)

What a Real Leader Knows (Article)

Leading by Example (Article)

Empowerment and Delegation (Skillbook)

Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing (Article)

French and Raven's Five Forms of Power (Article)

Ethical Leadership (Article)

About the Author:

Matthew has 10 years of experience writing, editing and commissioning online content. As a content editor, he's worked in several industries – including charity, culture and travel – before finding his calling in L&D at Mind Tools, where he creates accessible, timely and engaging content for learners.

The post Leadership Lessons From Superheroes appeared first on Mind Tools.

Speaking from personal experience, it's a tricky question to answer. I've had great leaders. Ones that have inspired me, guided me, and from whom I've learned a great deal. They're the ones that listened to me, that I knew I could go to with any question or any problem, and they'd do their utmost to support me in my work and my life.

But, I've also had my fair share of not-so-great leaders. The ones that simply didn't really care about me. The ones that forgot my name all the time. They never listened. They were often entirely absent, particularly when I needed them the most. Or, they were always there... the micromanagers. They'd look at everything with an overly critical eye. And while that's not always necessarily a bad thing, it was often the way they delivered their criticisms that stung. Sometimes they could just be plain mean about it. And instead of motivating me, they often did the opposite to the point that work became a pretty bad place to be.

What Is Leadership?

Traditionally, leadership was seen as hierarchical. You had the leader, right at the top... hero-like in the respect and worship they felt was expected from us underlings at the bottom... but also, untouchable and unknowable.

Luckily, in most organizations, ideas around leadership have changed since then. Nowadays, leaders are very much seen as people-centric. They want to work in the best interests of their people, their customers and their stakeholders.

In the first in our new series of videos, we ask What Is Leadership? And explore the four fundamentals of good leadership – as well as some of the key things leaders should avoid.

The Leader as Influencer

Influencing is one of the key characteristics that great leaders demonstrate. This doesn't mean "pushing" people to do things. Instead, it's about encouraging and motivating people to buy into a vision that they want to work toward achieving.

But with influence comes power. And leaders need to understand that they must wield the power that they have in a positive way. Because, if they don't, just like in a game of dominoes, things can end up collapsing around them very quickly.

In the second of our leadership videos, Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Model, we explore how the leader, their followers, and the context (in other words, the workplace and culture) are all interconnected. And how negative interactions between these three can lead to failed outcomes – or, alternatively, how positive interactions can lead to success!

Looking After Your People

When I was young, we used to play a game called "follow the leader." Perhaps you played it too. Essentially, the leader of the gang would stick out their leg, all their followers would do the same. They might pull a funny face, and everyone else would mimic it back, laughing. But, soon the game would get boring, we'd all go off, and the leader, well without any followers, who did they have left to lead?

People are what make leaders. So, if you don't look after your people, or motivate them properly, you'll soon find yourself isolated and alone. Perhaps no longer a leader.

In the final video of our series on leadership, we explore how leaders can look after their people using a model known as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In it, we explore the five different needs that people have, and how leaders can satisfy them to help their followers stay motivated, happy and productive.

The post What Makes a Good Leader? appeared first on Mind Tools.

The news comes less than one month after Jacinda Ardern announced that she would step down as PM of New Zealand. In her six years running the country, Ardern was praised for her strong but compassionate leadership style, proving that kindness and humility are assets to any leader.

With these two strong female politicians stepping down, I wanted to reflect on how kindness and humility can help us to become better leaders, and why stepping aside is not a sign of weakness.

What Is Humility?

Humility is the opposite of bragging. It's staying modest about yourself and your status. But don't confuse humility with low self-esteem; it doesn't mean that you're insecure or lack confidence, but rather that you appreciate your talents without being boastful. Leadership expert Bruna Martinuzzi writes about Humility as "a quiet confidence."

When we're less preoccupied with our own accomplishments, we have more time and energy to think about others. Humility is therefore a highly desirable trait in any leader, since it ensures that they will always act in the best interests of their team, rather than for their own personal gain.

Do Female Leaders Show More Humility?

Author of "The Paula Principle," Tom Schuller, finds that men often work above their level of competence, but women are more likely to work below their level of competence. Tomas Charmarro-Premuzic has also written about this, citing that "women are more sensitive, considerate and humble than men."

But everyone can develop kindness and selflessness, and these qualities are even more valuable in leadership roles.

Traits of a Kind Leader

Humility is just one of the key ingredients that make up a kind leader. And with a little practice you too can develop a more compassionate leadership style:

• Active listening. As a leader, your voice will often carry the most weight in your team. Give others a chance to voice their ideas and pay attention to what they have to say.
• Empathy. Connect with your team members. Try to understand their feelings and points of view. How does their work affect their wellbeing? And what can you do to help?
• Self-awareness. What kind of leader are you? What does your team think of you? A self-reflection will help you to stay grounded and understand your motives.
• Trust and honesty. A kind leader will trust and empower their team. To nurture a culture of trust, you should be honest and authentic with your co-workers. If you set a good example, your team will follow suit!
• Accountability. As leader, the buck stops with you. Kind leaders demonstrate courage and tenacity by accepting responsibility for their decisions and learning from their mistakes.

A Kind Leader Knows When to Step Aside

Resigning because you don't feel up to the task at hand is commonly seen as a weakness, but it's quite the opposite.

Sturgeon and Ardern's reasons for handing over the prime ministerial baton demonstrate kindness and strength. Not only to themselves, but also to their people. Knowing when you've reached your limit is an admirable trait, and admitting it takes a wealth of courage.

Rather than try to "fake it 'til you make it," a good leader can admit when they aren't the right person for the job. For example, asking for help or delegating to team members with more suitable skillsets. Or, in the case of Jacinda Arden and Nicola Sturgeon, stepping down for the sake of the people they represent.

A kind and humble person won't let their vanity or desire for personal glory stand in the way of their team's success.

Beware of Generosity Burnout!

Leading with kindness and humility can be wearing. Especially in politics! With so many people depending on you to guide them in the right direction, it can be difficult to make both quick and ethical decisions. This pressure, and the constant consideration of others' needs over your own can lead to generosity burnout.

In her resignation speech, Jacinda Ardern admitted that she simply did not "have enough in the tank" to continue in her role. Giving too much too often will inevitably lead to exhaustion and burnout. Generosity burnout can even make you resent those who depend on you, so it's crucial to do something about it before it takes hold.

Avoid generosity burnout as a leader by accepting that you can't always please everyone. Reflect on your personal values and those of your company, and consider how you can apply them in your decision making. This will help you to feel confident about the choices you make, and defend them if you face scrutiny.

Finally, take time for yourself. While you are responsible for your people, you can't help them to be their best selves if you you don't show yourself the same care and attention!

The post Leading With Kindness and Humility appeared first on Mind Tools.

I was surprised to learn that a Victorian soap-making company built Port Sunlight for its workers. "Sunlight" was the name of their leading soap brand. The name of the company was Lever Brothers.

I say I was surprised because this was at odds with what I thought I knew about industrial life in Victorian England. I'd read Dickens' novels – even the really long ones. I knew about the boot-blacking factories, the grim northern mills, and the struggles of the urban poor.

The Correct Use of Soap

So what were the people who conceived Port Sunlight thinking? OK, it was built toward the end of the Victorian era. Fewer children were working in hard manual labor, and most were learning to read and write. But even so, Port Sunlight was radical. Was it just an example of paternalism? Was the bosses' mission just to look after the little people out of a sense of self-regarding righteousness?

Turns out it was simpler than that. A happy, healthy, well-housed workforce performed better. Port Sunlight was good for business. Lever Brothers started out by making a product that promoted cleanliness and good health, at a time when public health was going through a revolution. And they built that promotion into their own business.

Mission Control Is Working With a Purpose

Fast forward 100 years or so, to 2009. Lever Brothers have come a long way. Under the name Unilever, the company has grown into a huge, diversified group with interests in foods, chemicals, and a wide range of domestic products. And it's got problems.

That's where one of the co-authors of "Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take" comes in. He's Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. When he took over the company, it was in the doldrums. Growth was flat, shareholders were restless. The company was a case study in tired, industry-standard practice. Short-term profits were prioritized over investment and development.

Polman understood that Unilever needed to rediscover its purpose – a word that's everywhere in "Net Positive." Because companies that have a wider mission than simply delivering profits for shareholders will likely end up ahead of the market. And along the way they can do real good in the world.

Lever Brothers had begun its journey toward becoming a global commercial juggernaut by looking after its people. Those people, in turn, had gone to work to make a major contribution to Britain's late-19th-century public health revolution.

So, a century or so later, Polman brought the senior managers of the company together to rediscover their corporate purpose at the place where it all began: Port Sunlight.

Mission Brings Meaning to Work

"Net Positive" charts Unilever's drive to become one of the world's most environmentally and socially aware corporations. A business that seeks not only to be neutral in impact, but to actively make the world better.

If you think of the enormous demands that manufacturing corporations make on natural resources, to name but one area, it's a tough ask. And Unilever has a negative history to address. Sunlight Soap, which set the whole ball rolling, way back when, was made using palm oil – a resource whose production is now identified as one of the most damaging to biodiversity.

But the effort seems to be sincere. It's rooted in a revolution in corporate culture. Employees are challenged to find their personal purpose and their personal mission, and they're held accountable for what they do. The "Unilever Sustainable Living Plan" brings sustainability to the fore and sets tough benchmarks. And Unilever has rediscovered what its founders learned back in the day: treating people decently is good for business.

A Sustainable Way Forward?

You could be very cynical about "Net Positive," and Unilever. Global corporations must, at some point, turn in healthy profits. They aren't charities. Corporations often pride themselves on their toughness, in a macho way. And "greenwashing" has become widespread. I remember the collapse of Enron, and the global banking crisis of 2009. I reserve the right to be skeptical.

But I also remember Port Sunlight. And I remember that I've lived in far worse housing, and that many people still do. Unilever is on the record as a company that recognizes its history, and understands its future responsibilities. And if it leads the way for others to follow, then maybe we do have the basis for a revolution in corporate thinking.

Listen to Our "Net Positive" Book Insight

We review the best new business books and the tested classics in our monthly Book Insights, available as text or as 15-minute audio downloads.

So, if you're a Mind Tools Club member or corporate user, download or stream the "Net Positive" Book Insight now!

If you haven't already signed up, join the Mind Tools Club and gain access to our 2,400+ resources, including 390+ Book Insights. For corporate licensing, ask for a demo with one of our team.

Do businesses have a responsibility to deliver more than just profits for shareholders? Should they put sustainability on an equal footing? Let us know in the Comments, below.

The post Mission Possible: Saving the World appeared first on Mind Tools.

Today, more than ever, ethics are a leadership imperative. Ethical leaders rise above the din of the crowd to inspire us at a time of uncertainty and large-scale corporate cases of fraud and unethical behavior in organizations.

It's not surprising that in a 2021 Gallup poll, both Generation Z and millennials rated ethical leadership highly.

Ethics are a key value for these generations, in particular. A recent Deloitte survey reveals that nearly 37 percent of Gen Zs, and 36 percent of millennials, have rejected a job and assignment based on their personal ethics. Moreover, almost half of all Gen Zs and millennials in senior positions have declined positions and projects that did not conform with their values and ethics.

Gen Z and millennials currently account for approximately 38 percent of the global workforce. They will increase to about 58 percent by 2030, making these upcoming younger generations the most dominant in the workplace in less than ten years' time.

When it comes to ethical leadership, how ready is your organization to attract and retain this talent pool?

What Is a Definition of an Ethical Organization?

Simply put, an organization that practices ethical leadership is where all those in management and leadership positions set an example of ethical conduct in their everyday actions and relationships.

What Is the Impact of Ethical Leadership?

A 2021 survey by LRN, based on data collected from 8,000 employees worldwide representing 17 industries, showed that companies with the strongest ethical cultures outperform their peers by 40 percent across all measures of business performance. A company's ethics are only as good as its leaders. Ethical leaders:

• Establish an ethical culture in an organization.
• Attract the best employees.
• Inspire employee loyalty.
• Increase investor confidence and trust in a company.
• Engender customer loyalty.
• Garner positive press.
• Attract the best vendors.
• Help boost the bottom line.

The Dangers of Having Non-Ethical Leaders

We've all read about significant unethical behaviors that become headlines, from bank employees creating fake profiles to file fraudulent applications to government relief programs, to a major car company cheating on emissions tests. While these are significant cases that may seem far removed from our daily life, how about the small acts of unethical behavior right on our doorsteps?

Let me count the ways:

• Cheating on expense reimbursements.
• Stealing company stationery items.
• Altering a timesheet.
• Taking credit for someone else's work.
• Doing work that isn't related to the office during office hours.
• Sidelining a deserving employee as a result of nepotism.

Unethical leadership spreads like a virus, infecting employees at all levels. Unethical leaders breed dishonest employees. For example, a manager seen stealing company products influences other employees to do the same.

Numerous studies show the devastating effects of unethical leadership on employees and organizations. These include poor employee performance, negative attitudes, anxieties, frustration, motivational decline, loss of trust toward the leaders, work alienation, and related negative consequences for employees' private lives, to name a few.

Can an Inspirational Ethical Leader Turn an Unethical Culture Around?

We all want to work for ethical organizations. But it may be unrealistic to expect all organizations to do the right thing consistently in a tumultuous world.

A coaching client of mine once lamented that he'd unintentionally found himself working in an environment where some parts of the company weren't operating ethically.

So, what do you do in this case?

First, it's essential to understand that if you work for an unethical organization, you're walking a fine line between corporate ethical responsibility and individual responsibility, especially if you're a manager or leader in the organization. Regardless of what goes on around you, have your own code of conduct and let people know what you stand for. Build a good reputation for honesty by consistently doing what you say you will do.

You also want to attract positive attention to yourself by honing your leadership skills and developing your leadership presence. Consider these points to help you raise your leadership profile:

• Enhance your presentation and facilitation skills and learn how to chair a meeting with savvy.
• Raise the bar on your communication skills. Speak as a leader. Don't just deliver the facts – learn to inspire your listeners through storytelling and metaphors.
• Work on building rapport with higher-ups and colleagues. Allow them to get to know you.
• Put effort into becoming an expert in your area of responsibility. Being regarded as an expert confers a leadership status and is crucial in influencing others.

While you may not be able to turn the entire organization's culture around, you can, by example, impact the culture of your own team or department positively.

At a minimum, your leadership presence will be noticed and can influence others, starting with those closest to you on your team. Modeling the way can have a ripple effect in one department and, with time, could influence other areas of the organization.

Consider as well that unethical leaders are eventually ousted. That's when senior leaders look around for a suitable replacement. If you've consistently shown up as an ethical leader and have worked on your leadership skills, chances are you'll be on the radar of the powers that be.

This is what happened to Vivian (not her real name). Vivian reported to Ken, a self-interested and arrogant senior leader. Ken initially got away with many infractions, including inappropriate use of corporate funds, such as expensing massages for his wife at the country club. Other instances included giving preference to hiring his daughters as summer interns, altering numbers in reports, and asking subordinates to cut corners by skipping standard procedures. But he tipped the scale when he cut a deal with a vendor for personal financial gain. When he was fired, the company replaced him with Vivian, who'd made inroads by showing leadership at every touchpoint. People notice those who stand out as ethical leaders.

Final Thoughts on Ethical Leadership

Author Zig Ziglar once said, "Live in such a way that if someone spoke badly of you, no one would believe it." Your reputation and ethics go hand in hand – even the slightest unintentional ethical lapse can harm your leadership.

To be considered an ethical leader who inspires and positively impacts the culture, you must guard your reputation with your life. Your reputation is your passport to ethical leadership.

About the Author:

Bruna is an educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership, communication, and presentation-skills training.

The post The Power of an Ethical Leader appeared first on Mind Tools.

Hoque realized that the disruption caused by COVID-19 was one of four huge changes we’re experiencing at the moment, the others being climate change, technological advances, and misinformation. To navigate these choppy waters, he advocates transformational leadership, combined with systemic thinking and experiential learning.

When I spoke to Hoque for the latest Mind Tools Expert Interview, he explained that his theories stretch back to his childhood in Bangladesh, a country where drought and flooding often threaten the lives of millions.

He grew up adapting to constant change, a skill that helped him thrive despite a series of personal setbacks in later life, and that he has successfully translated to the world of work through his writing and consultancy.

Transformation Through Experience

Transformational leaders are driven “by empathy, inspiration and influence,” Hoque says. And in this clip from our conversation, he shows how experiential learning and transformational leadership are linked.

(There’s lots more about transformational leadership on Mind Tools, including its history, and advice on how to become a transformational leader.)

Command and Control Is Dead

Hoque points out that this type of leader stands in stark contrast to the “transactional” leaders more common in the past, who are “all about the bottom line” and drive “maximum return with minimal investments.”

This sounds like the owner of a business magazine I worked for in New York – a man named Arthur. He led our small team from the top down, literally! He worked in a top-floor office and never showed his face in editorial, two floors below.

Although we only knew him from photos, we had to comply with his frequent diktats. For example, all women had to wear skirts and "feminine" shoes, and there was a minimum number of hours we had to spend at our desks, regardless of our workloads.

Unsurprisingly, morale was low and mutiny was simmering. And staff turnover was high, which added to stress levels. Whenever someone quit, other people were lumbered with their work, or were sidetracked by the search for their replacement.

If he’d noticed these negatives, Arthur would likely have doubled down on his command-and-control approach.

Empathy Plus Process Wins

People often think leadership comes in mutually exclusive shades. You can either be firm and process-driven, or open and empathetic. Being both doesn’t seem viable.

But for Hoque, transformational leadership can work hand-in-hand with a rigorous business-centric mindset. In fact, each one enhances the other.

“If you think about transformational leadership, it’s kind of your cultural element and your guiding post to get people rallied behind you,” he says. “Then you have to give people the exact path… a combination of process, tracking and management, matrix and measurement that makes sure that things are actually getting done.”

This approach was modeled brilliantly by a radio news editor I had early in my career, a woman called Juliet. Unlike Arthur, she didn’t give a hoot what we wore, as long as it fitted our assignments for that day.

She sat in the newsroom with us, writing news items and broadcasting bulletins. Despite being busy, she always made time to answer the many questions from her keen yet inexperienced team – with proper focus and engagement.

I remember one morning, I arrived for the early shift at 5 a.m. and a huge news story had broken in our patch overnight. I was alone in the newsroom and I didn’t know what to do. So I rang Juliet at home.

Calmly, she listened to the police report I’d picked up, and then coached me toward the best way to cover the story.

Empowered by her input, I verified the facts, tracked down a witness, recorded an interview, and wrote up the story, with audio clips. It led the morning bulletins – and we were way ahead of the local competition.

Approachable Leadership Transforms

Looking back, what impresses me is not just Juliet’s sound and helpful response. It’s that she was available to talk at 5 a.m. – and that I felt I could wake her up for advice.

She’d created a well-run, professional environment where people outperformed expectations, and she’d done it with empathy and understanding, so that people felt safe to ask for help.

Leaders in other industries may never be woken at dawn by a rookie colleague. But being truly available to team members during office hours could make a big difference to the success of the organization, especially now. Turbulent times call for calm, thoughtful leadership.

“It’s that conscious practice of empathy, to listen and to understand where people are coming from, and as a result, designing your work environment and your way forward,” Hoque says. “[That] becomes monumental if you want to succeed.”

Get the Full Interview – and Many More!

Mind Tools Club members and Mind Tools for Business licensees can listen to my full 30-minute interview with Faisal Hoque. It comes with a complete transcript for ease of review and accessibility.

If you're not already signed up, join the Mind Tools Club now to gain unlimited access to 2,400+ resources, including our back catalog of 200+ audio Expert Interviews. And to find out more about Mind Tools' enterprise solutions, you can book a demo with one of our team.

Meanwhile, you can read and hear more, for free, by searching the Expert Interview blog topic and by signing up to the new Mind Tools Expert Voices podcast.

Your Opinion on Transformational Leadership

How do you lead and manage in turbulent times? What style of leadership does your organization enable and encourage, and what's the impact? Share your experiences and tips in the Comments, below!

The post Faisal Hoque on Transformational Leadership: Expert Interview appeared first on Mind Tools.

Quiet firing is not the same as "quiet quitting," which has also sparked extensive online debate. In quiet quitting, employees are in control: they choose to do the bare minimum of their duties to get by, whereas, in quiet firing, managers are in control. Managers use quiet firing tactics to make employees feel they are not wanted, encouraging them to leave.

Motives for Quiet Firing

A recent LinkedIn News poll reveals that more than 80 percent of over 20,000 respondents have experienced or witnessed quiet firing. But why does this happen so often?

Managers use this passive-aggressive approach to avoid firing employees and incurring severance costs. Managers may also quietly fire to avoid having tough conversations about poor performance, or devising an improvement plan.

How Can You Spot Quiet Firing in Your Organization?

There are three main indicators that a manager is using quiet firing to encourage an employee to quit, especially if you observe a cluster or pattern to these behaviors.

1. Communication Channels Are Abruptly Closed.

• You stop receiving feedback on your work from your manager.
• Many of your emails go unanswered.
• You find it's becoming challenging to schedule one-on-one meetings with your manager.
• You have been excluded from key meetings.
• Your input is not encouraged in the few meetings that you attend, and your contributions are glossed over.

2. Your Career Advancement Seems to Have Stalled.

• You are repeatedly overlooked for a promotion.
• Your salary has been frozen, or you received a much smaller raise than expected.
• Your new projects are on hold, and you are repeatedly stuck doing the same old job.
• You are consistently assigned routine, tedious work, and difficult or undesirable tasks.
• No one speaks to you about your career progression.

3. You Are Socially Ostracized  

In addition to being professionally excluded, you will likely experience some form of social ostracization. While not everyone craves close friendships with their team, we all have a baseline need to belong to the group, to be acknowledged, and to feel welcome.

Being socially ostracized takes many subtle forms, from simple to extreme. For example:

• You are no longer invited to impromptu team lunches or drinks after work with colleagues.
• Fewer people drop by your desk or your inbox to chat or ask you to join them for coffee.
• You find that you are often the one who starts conversations with your managers and colleagues instead of being approached.

That's what Amira, a recent client, said is happening to her. Amira is not her real name, but she has allowed me to share her story: "Something has changed in the office. In addition to being left out of important email chains, there is a sudden silence around me. I feel excluded and ignored."

She explained that she saw a definite change in her colleagues' body language. "Some of them avoided eye contact in the corridor or coffee room. I miss the cordialness – neither my boss nor my colleagues are unpleasant towards me," she explained, "but there is a shift in tone, which is cooler and sometimes more formal. I felt this from my boss a while ago, but I can't understand why the other employees are also acting that way toward me."

Why does this happen? While it's often not malicious, the manager's behavior toward the employee may unintentionally encourage other employees to distance themselves. Fearing for their jobs, employees may choose to avoid an employee who has fallen out favor with the boss.

What to Do as a Victim of Quiet Firing

If you suspect that you're quietly being shown the door, the first logical step is to look within and assess your own behavior. Ask yourself, "Did I quietly quit?" "Have I stopped giving my job my best effort?"

An overlooked cause of quiet firing may be a manager's reaction to employees who no longer go the extra mile and stop giving their employer the best they can offer.

If, after an honest introspection, you conclude that your behavior is not the cause of the issue, here are a few strategies to consider:

Do Your Best Work

Before taking any drastic action, consider first what you can do to turn the situation around. Work hard, eliminate all distractions and stay focused and committed to delivering the best results for whatever you are working on. You may be able to redefine your manager's perception of you through consistent exemplary work. 

Talk to Your Manager

Inquire about what you can do to improve your situation. Request a one-on-one meeting with your manager. Bring examples of negative scenarios that you are experiencing and how they make you feel. This allows your manager to assess their own actions and find a solution that suits everyone.

Manage Your Emotions

What we see first and remember last is how a person reacts to unpleasant situations. Regardless of how difficult the circumstances are, try to keep a level head and be professional. Passive-aggressive reactions such as withdrawing from the team or even plotting your revenge will only make the situation worse. And if you do end up leaving the organization, don't burn your bridges. Organizations are constantly shifting and cutting ties could come back to haunt you later in your career.  

How to Manage a Passive-Aggressive Boss

Rather than simply ignoring you, a manager who quietly fires you may also resort to passive-aggressive behaviors to hasten your departure. One such is to set up an employee for failure. For example, they might withhold key information the employee needs to succeed.

How do you deal with a passive-aggressive manager? Here are a few suggestions:

• Once you have identified that your manager uses these tactics, it helps to anticipate the behavior. This will keep you alert. For example, one of my coaching clients has a boss who withheld critical information she needed before a presentation to senior executives, although he claimed to have simply forgotten. In her case, suspecting her boss's agenda, she could have checked in with others in the group to ensure she had the correct information.
  
• When you get instructions for a new project, make sure to put everything in writing. Confirm by email your managers' expectations and your responsibilities.
  
• Take the high road. I always advise my clients to refrain from responding to passive-aggressive behavior in kind. For one thing, people who use these behaviors are very good at it. Also, the power imbalance is a no-win situation, especially with a well-connected manager. Stay calm and focused on your job until either the manager makes a move to outright fire you or you choose to move on with your life.

Network With Other Managers

Reach out to managers in other departments within your company. Increasing your visibility and strengthening your connections in the organization can help to bolster your reputation and may even open doors to transfer to a new department.

Is it Time to Quit?

If all else fails, you need to ask yourself if it's worth staying in a job where your manager makes your life miserable. Volunteering to resign will likely protect your wellbeing and reputation from further harm. By starting a discussion that your manager has been avoiding, you are in control and are taking a positive step to end an untenable situation for you and your manager.

That's the advice I gave to one of my clients whose manager had quietly fired him. Let's call him Jason.

We planned an honest, non-confrontational approach. Jason had a frank discussion with his boss and offered to resign if he received an appropriate severance and a letter of reference. The manager was so happy that he didn't have to face the ordeal of firing him that he gave him a generous severance.

Jason avoided the stress of being fired and any awkward conversations with subsequent employers explaining why he was fired.

Most importantly for Jason, the department organized the traditional go-away lunch, giving Jason a chance to part ways amicably rather than leave as a terminated employee. "I didn't want to be escorted to the elevator," he said to me, "without having an opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, as I had seen others leave who had been fired. I left with dignity with people dropping by my office after lunch to wish me well."

Are You Guilty of Quiet Firing?

Quiet firing may seem like the easy way out to some managers, particularly if your relationship with the employee is already strained. But it's always better to address issues directly and openly in a constructive conversation rather than quietly firing them.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Beware of Your Quiet Reputation

One of the downsides of practising "quiet firing" is damaging your reputation as a manager and, even worse, your company's reputation. Being branded as a quiet firer who doesn't dare to face issues openly can adversely impact your future hiring ability.

Quietly Fired Employees Could Come Back to Haunt You

A quietly fired employee may join a competitor or resurface as a client. This was the case for a company I consulted for. Let's call the employee Bruce. He was a junior lawyer in the company and because of his legal background, his manager worried about legal repercussions if he fired him. Instead, the manager made life so difficult that Bruce eventually resigned. But a few years later, he resurfaced as the senior lawyer for a major client of his previous employer. Relationships were strained, and the company eventually lost the client.

Practice Compassionate Leadership

Nothing demoralizes an employee more than being marginalized and made to feel excluded from the group.

Take the high road by adopting a compassionate leadership style. Quiet firing may save you severance pay or an awkward conversation, but it can also severely damage your employees' wellbeing and be a sign of weak leadership. Compassionate leadership means treating others with kindness and decency. A professional and amicable parting of ways is infinitely superior to the lasting damage of "quiet firing."

About the Author:

Bruna is an educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership, communication, and presentation skills training.

The post Quiet Firing: The Dark Side of Quiet Quitting appeared first on Mind Tools.

I frequently ask thought-provoking questions like these to get people really thinking in a way that they won't usually do by themselves.

Why don't they? Well, maybe because the process of being coached means that you have to "open up" and essentially be vulnerable. Which most of us – me included – are not comfortable doing naturally.

I often hear people compare coaching sessions to therapy and in many ways it is. As a nutrition coach, I know all too well how a discussion about unwanted habits and behaviors can open up waves of emotion very quickly. After all, these habits and behaviors stem from previous life experiences.

Let Your Coach Be Your Guide

So why do people seek out coaching? Well, they're looking for answers. However, as I said, good coaches don't necessarily have the answers.

Instead, they have the unique ability to guide people and get them thinking differently, to effectively find the answers themselves… the answers that they had all along.

And that's just it, true coaching isn't telling people where their next career step needs to be or how many calories are in an avocado… that's what Google is for!

A good analogy for this and something I often remind myself of is:

"A good coach is like a mountain guide. They can lead you up the right path, they know when to adjust the pace, and they can keep you motivated throughout the climb. But what they won't do is chuck you on their back and carry you up the mountain themselves."

Why I Started to Coach

For a number of years now I've been fortunate enough to be able to pursue my passion for coaching, specifically nutrition coaching. Almost 10 years ago, I found myself falling head over heels in love… with CrossFit.

But don't worry, I won't be talking about that today! My interest in how nutrition has a huge part to play in performance consumed me, I needed to know more.

From counting calories and experimenting with different diets, I found that people would come to me for advice, and you know what? It felt good. That warm fuzzy feeling you get when you help someone progress and get better is just second to none. And I wanted more.

Helping people with performance was great, but, for me, it was kind of a temporary fix. I wanted to help on an almost life-changing level. And soon I found myself asking what everyday people usually struggle with and how I can help them make bigger, long-lasting lifestyle changes.

The health and fitness industry is filled with endless agendas, false claims and expensive products. So I wanted to empower people with the knowledge, understanding and, more importantly, the self-belief to navigate that tsunami of misinformation.

The Power of Coaching

So we now know that instead of giving people the answers they need, the most impactful way of coaching is to ask the right questions.

That empowers people to find the answers that they were searching for, and the decision to change is theirs instead of someone else giving orders.

For example, giving someone direct advice would look like:

"You really need to stop eating three takeaways a week and binge drinking on weekends."

However, coaching someone would go something like:

"Do you feel your current habits are helping you reach your goals?"

Think about it, when someone tells you what to do what's your instant reaction? Likely to reject them immediately, with a side order of, "Don't tell me what to do." Especially if it comes across in a forceful way.

But a conversation can be subtly steered so that someone will come to a conclusion and make a decision themselves. And this is the ultimate catalyst for change.

5 Essential Qualities of a Great Coach

While everyone coaches slightly differently, I've found that there are a few essential qualities to being a successful coach. A great coach will:

• Ask questions… a lot of them.
• Connect with their client.
• Let the client set the tone.
• Know when to shut up!
• Identify the resistance to change.

I Like Your Style

While coaching principles remain the same, coaching styles can differ. And this all depends on who you're coaching. For example, you may be coaching someone who is confident and "shoots from the hip," and requires a more direct set of questions with a slightly firmer tone.

On the other hand, some will feel more vulnerable to the coaching process, and so you want to tread lightly with direct questioning and approach with more empathy.

With this in mind, it's important to truly understand someone and what they have going on in their lives. It's so vital that you connect with the individual. A good coach will even know how to adjust the pace or intensity, depending on how the person being coached is feeling that day.

Shut Up and Listen

So how do you know how and when to adjust your style? Easy… you shut up and listen. It sounds so straightforward, but the simple act of listening and "leaving the space open" allows the client to open up.

This is your opportunity to pay attention to what they're saying, especially at the start when they will be more scared of change and resistant to your efforts. Because seeking out and identifying this resistance to change is the key to moving in the right direction.

Do you have experience as a coach or being coached? What do you think makes a great coach? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author:
Joe is an experienced Marketing professional and Nutrition Coach, with a drive to change people's habits and beliefs to help achieve life-changing health and fitness goals. He's also a husband and father with a passion for CrossFit and Olympic Lifting.

The post What Makes a Great Coach? – 5 Essential Qualities appeared first on Mind Tools.

Maybe that's why business writers reach so readily for sporting metaphors. Sport and business seem to have much in common. They both value competition, leadership, strategy, and tactics. Articles about the motivational skills and tactical know-how of elite coaches are everywhere. And they're often in highbrow business publications.

But not everyone agrees that sport and business make such a great match. In his 2017 Harvard Business Review article, Bill Taylor took aim at some of these assumptions, and pointed out a couple of major league differences:

1: There Can Only Be One Winner in Sports

Sports are usually zero-sum. There are winners and losers. Even in sports that allow for ties, like soccer, there's only one champion in the end.

Taylor points out that business isn't like that, and certainly shouldn't be. In any industry, there are opportunities for a wide range of different organizations. And the ones that succeed will be the ones that focus first on their customers, not their competitors.

2: Sports... No I in Team?

What about the talent? Taylor characterizes the elite sports locker room as "a collection of mercenaries ruled by a tyrant." It's a harsh verdict, but self-interest is inevitable. The average NFL career is less than three years. Players have to look after number one, even in a collaborative setting.

Add to this the fact that in team sports, most customers – the fans – actively dislike their team's CEO and management most of the time.

Sounds like a pretty toxic mix for any business, even one that commands unusual levels of customer loyalty.

A Coach's View

But does it have to be this way? After all, Taylor is talking about elite sports, played and run by millionaires. What about the grass roots?

We asked Simon Hulcoop about that. Simon is Mind Tools' Head of Sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He's a busy man, but, in his spare time, he coaches Southwater Royals, an under-14 girls' soccer team, and a "Wildcats" group aged five to 11.

So you coach a young women's football team. What's that like?

"Seeing them grow, develop and have fun playing football with their friends is something I really enjoy. One of the best parts of the role is seeing them come together as a team and support each other.

"It's also great to see them put into practice the things we've worked on and talked about during training. I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic bunch of girls that listen and give 100 percent in every game, which is fantastic to see!"

What skills do you need to be a successful sports coach?

"Good leadership skills, the ability to stay calm, and patience. You need to adapt to the different ways your players listen and learn, communicate clearly and, most importantly for me, always be passionate and positive!

"Being someone the team looks up to and respects is important too. You're the key person, communicating instructions and sometimes making difficult decisions. So you need to be someone they trust."

Has your role as football coach taught you anything that has been useful in your career?

"Never give up and keep working hard. On several occasions the girls have been losing and come back to win the game. So we might have tried different formations or instructions from the sidelines.

"It's the same in the workplace. I've hit stumbling blocks with deals or not been able to get through to the right people. But being patient and working hard always pays off."

Do you use the same coaching style to guide both of your teams, or different approaches?

"There are a lot of similarities. One of the biggest things is to be adaptable. Whether they're an adult or 13-year-old girl, everyone learns in different ways. So you need to adapt your approach.

"Also, listening and providing feedback are key skills in both. I don't always give them the answer. I guide them through the problem or challenge, whether that's a tactical soccer problem, or responding to objections about a product after a sales call."

What's more rewarding – your football team winning a big game, or your sales team winning a big client?

"I'm competitive, so both of those are up there for me. Actually for some of the same reasons.

"The joy on the players' faces when they've won a big game, and the grin of a salesperson when they close a deal – for me both are rewarding. But I might shout a little louder when the team wins a match!"

Bill Taylor's article claims business has little to learn from sports about competition and success, from talent and teamwork, value and values. What's your take on that?

"I believe that sports – especially soccer – teach us a lot that we can take into other areas of life. Being able to fail, and learn from setbacks, is one of the biggest for me. My team has learned so much from losing tight games against good teams. They've gone on to be stronger. If it's too easy, you learn nothing.

"Teamwork is another big one. Sport really encourages collaboration, another important skill to have and use throughout your life.

"Finally, one of the biggest things I've seen sport do is build self-confidence. Many girls come to the club nervous and lacking belief. But, through coaching and positive feedback, they end up loving the game, and booming with confidence. You need to be confident in different ways and at different times throughout your life, so this is a big positive."

Sports: More Than Just Games People Play

So there you have it. Elite sport and grassroots sport inhabit different worlds. One's cutthroat and zero-sum; the other's full of positives for learning, resilience, collaboration, and self-confidence.

Well, maybe. How about this: "We really analyze our opponents and talk about what their patterns, strengths and weaknesses are, if they have any. Then we say, 'What are our strengths? What do we need to do to harm them?'"

Analysis, collaboration, communication, self-confidence. That's Sarina Wiegman, coach of the England Women's Soccer Team. In July, they became the European Champions. It's an achievement that still eludes their male counterparts.

So perhaps elite sport doesn't have to be the way Bill Taylor describes it – particularly if it's played by women. Maybe it does still have some value for business leaders.

For a further angle on this, check out "Winning Together" by Helen and Kate Richardson-Walsh. It's a book with plenty to say about team building, collaboration, confidence – and winning.

And if you're keen to find out more about effective coaching, read our other blog, "What Makes a Great Coach? – 5 Essential Qualities."

What lessons, if any, can business learn from sports? Share your thoughts and experiences below!

The post Sports Coaching Business Lessons appeared first on Mind Tools.

The book, "Return on Character," says it can. And its author, the academic and consultant Fred Kiel, has found a way to calculate the impact of a leader’s character on the financial performance of their company. His research team carried out a seven-year study into this topic and the results are fascinating.

Everyday Character at Work

Imagine... You sense a warm, positive buzz in a certain café, where the baristas are relaxed, good humored, and attentive. Then you meet the manager and – surprise! – she exudes a warm, friendly calm. She involves her team in decision making and she respects their skills and experience. Meanwhile, in the store next door, resentful employees listlessly stack shelves, under the steely eye of their grumpy boss.

But is this just about personalities? When I met Kiel to record my Mind Tools Expert Interview podcast, I began with the basics. What does a leader of good character look like?

Members of the Mind Tools Club can hear the full interview. If you're not already signed up, read on here for a taster...

What Is Good Character?

Fred Kiel asserts that a leader of good character tells the truth. Further, "They keep their promises. They stand up for what’s right, and then they have a certain humility about them, where they own up to their own mistakes and accept the consequences.

"They tend to look first at what they did wrong, rather than what other people did wrong, and when other people make mistakes they tend to be curious rather than blaming and shaming. And then they treat you as a human being and not as an object."

In his groundbreaking study, Kiel set out to put a hard value on those admirable traits. The first step was to ask the 84 CEOs participating in the study to rate themselves against four defining characteristics: integrity, compassion, forgiveness, and responsibility. Then their employees were asked to rate these leaders against the same characteristics, to provide objectivity and perspective.

Character Study

From this data, the CEOs were given scores relating to their leadership behavior. The most highly principled leaders were labeled "virtuoso CEOs," while those at the other end of the spectrum were called "self-focused CEOs."

The research team then cross-referenced these character scores with the financial results of the leaders’ companies. It discovered that the virtuoso CEOs achieved nearly five times greater return on assets than their low-ranking counterparts.

An Invitation to Change

It’s a remarkable finding, but what can we do with this information, given that leopards don’t change their spots? Once a self-focused CEO, always a self-focused CEO, right? Wrong, says Kiel. It may not be easy, but leaders can move from one end of the spectrum to the other.

In "Return on Character," Kiel outlines this process of personal change. He sees it as a six-part journey, starting with "invitations to change." As an example of this step, he talks about a young executive who effortlessly rose through the ranks of a company and assumed he was next in line to be named president of a major business unit.

"His invitation for change, or wake-up call, came when the CEO invited him into his office. He came in expecting to get the good news and instead he was told, ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not giving you this job. I’m giving it to your peer instead.’ And that was a very traumatic event for him because he’d never had a failure experience to deal with before. So that became a real invitation for him to change."

The other five steps to becoming a virtuoso leader require just as much humility and self-awareness, with the final one, "rewire your brain," designed to cement new good habits through focus and practice.

Completing all six steps in this process is a major undertaking, but no doubt worth it, on a personal and organizational level, for under-performing leaders.

What about those leaders who don’t need, or want, to undergo large-scale personal change, but would still like to maximize their return on character? Kiel offers some useful tips in this audio clip from our Expert Interview podcast.

Listen to the full Expert Interview in the Mind Tools Club, or get a license for your organization through Mind Tools for Business.

So, Does Honesty Pay?

"Return on Character" is an absorbing read that shows leadership behavior can be linked to business results. Senior executives may well benefit from taking these ideas on board. But even if we’re not in charge of our company’s financial performance, we can still learn from the basic principle: it pays, literally, to be honest, compassionate and responsible.

What would you do to improve return on character, for yourself or your organization? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

The post Good Character in Business: My Interview With Fred Kiel appeared first on Mind Tools.