A coaching colleague recently came to me for an opinion on a leadership topic. I thought sharing it would be helpful to you as well.
The question was “What is one of the top reasons leaders lose the loyalty of their team?”
My response? Among the many reasons, I said, “Topping the list, leaders lose employee loyalty whenever they say they believe in something but act in the opposite way. This is called hypocrisy.”
For example:
- If treating people with dignity and respect are values in your company but its leaders weren’t respectful when interacting with others, how will they respond when tough relationship issues arise at work?
- If your company values integrity but the leaders’ actions call their integrity into question, can you trust them going forward?
- If leaders talk about the importance of safety but do not follow safe practices, how can you count on them to back you on safety concerns?
What similar examples have you experienced?
This kind of hypocritical behavior leads to their downfall because their credibility with their biggest stakeholder, their employees, erodes. What can happen as a result?
- A toxic work environment evolves.
- Employee disengagement settles in.
- Productivity tanks.
- Trust and teamwork disappear.
- Employee turnover skyrockets.
This tells us there’s no seat on the train to success for hypocritical leaders!
Leadership Tip
Avoid hypocrisy by consistently:
- Staying razor sharp on practicing what you preach.
- Letting your actions lead your words.
- Doing the right things for the right reasons.
