When managers break down under pressure, so do their teams
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As a leader, how you respond under pressure makes an indelible impression on the people around you Our latest research shows that your temperament in those moments has a tremendous impact on your team’s performance. When the hammer comes down, are you calm, collected, candid, curious, direct and willing to listen? Or would your direct reports describe you as upset, angry, closed-minded, rejecting or even devious?
We asked more than 1,300 people in an online survey to describe their leader’s style under stress and the impact of that behavior on their work. We found that a large majority of managers and leaders buckle under pressure. Respondents also said that when their leader clams up or blows up under pressure, their team members have lower morale; are more likely to miss deadlines, budgets and quality standards; and act in ways that drive customers away.
When leaders do not know how to cope with stress, their teams can be badly affected. Team members are more likely to consider leav-
their job, shut down and stop participating, and are less likely to go above and beyond in their responsibilities. Luckily, leaders can ensure they are at their best even when the pressure is on by devel- oping a few simple skills: — DETERMINE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT: Say your boss told you off for an error your team made. You’re humiliated and angry, and you blame your contract- ing officer, who misread a contract and caused the mistake. But before you allow your emotions to take over, stop and ask yourself, “What is it I really want in the long term, for myself, for the contracting officer and for the team?” The answer should guide your actions.
— CHALLENGE YOUR STORY: It would be easy to make the contracting officer the villain. But the best leaders challenge their stories. So you could ask, “Why might a rational, reasonable and decent person make the mistake she made?” and “What role did I have in allowing her mistake to go unnoticed and uncorrected?” These questions move us from angry judge to curious problem-solver.
— START WITH FACTS: Skilled leaders tamp down the temptation to level accusations, and instead gather the facts. Focus on what you expected: the commitments, standards, policies or targets that were missed. Then add what you observed: the specific actions with dates, times, places and circumstances as necessary. Don’t add your conclusions, opinions or judgments. Because facts are neutral and verifiable, they become the common ground for problemsolving.
— CREATE SAFETY: When you’re under pressure with your job or reputation on the line, how do you light a fire under your team without showing anger? Can you get your employees to put in overtime without threatening them? Yes. Our study showed that teams work harder and more effectively if a boss doesn’t lose his temper. Share your positive intent by saying something like, “This is not about blaming, it’s about fixing. I want us to focus on how we can solve our immediate problem. Then we can find ways to prevent it from happening again.”
If you’ve lost your temper in the past, be easy on yourself. You may do it again. But don’t be discouraged — or complacent. While it isn’t easy to step up to your best self under pressure, it is incredibly important. These are defining moments for you and your team. David Maxfield leads the research function at Vitalsmarts, where Justin Hale is a master trainer.