An alarming new study of workplace leaders describes an environment of unconscious fear in modern-day leadership, leading to toxic culture, stunted growth, performance and productivity, and decision inertia.
The global study of 2,500 emerging leaders in corporate businesses by Margot Faraci, an experienced executive leader, author, speaker and leadership coach, of which 1,000 were in the UK, revealed one quarter (23%) of UK leaders are unconsciously creating an environment of fear with direct reports. Globally, this figure rises to one in three (30%), indicating a growing worldwide phenomenon of fearful leadership. Fearful leadership carries significant implications for team morale, performance, and overall well-being within organisations. It’s often attributed to past experiences, creating an ongoing cycle of leadership driven by fear.
As a result, fearful leadership, whether conscious or unconscious, is costing UK businesses, and the wider UK economy, a staggering £2.2 billion drop in productivity and performance. Fearful leadership is also creating a culture of mistrust, as while fearful leaders are confident in themselves, half (48%) do not trust their direct reports to handle situations as they arise.
Fear-based leaders are defined as those that either always or often experience anxiety, micromanagement, imposter syndrome, anger, unwillingness to receive feedback, hesitancy to speak up, complacency and quiet quitting. These leaders lose 10 hours a week in productivity for their companies, equivalent to £9,545 a year per leader, or £2.2 billion annually.
After two decades at some of the world’s largest banks, Faraci’s mission is to eradicate fearful leadership in businesses. She works collaboratively with organisations across the UK, US and Australia to replace fear with love as the driving force behind leadership, paving the way for a high-performing and empowering path for emerging managers and leaders.
Margot Faraci’s approach – to solve fear with love – harnesses what great leaders have proven throughout history: leveraging our most powerful human emotion is not a “soft skill” but a commanding shift. It’s a drive to results, your own potential and unleashing the potential of those you lead, without compromising your authenticity or security.