An insecure leader I know berates his people and expresses his emotions like a freight train about to derail. The team suffers from the barrage. This leader is smart. Charming at times. Not afraid to be candid. But things turn dark when he’s not satisfied.
Then, the virtual work world of the COVID era changed this dynamic. Relegated to video calls, the leader’s outbursts ebbed. The virtual reality of the pandemic made it nearly impossible for him to rule by outburst.
As a result, what happened to the team? Productivity and sound decision making soared. The leader’s style no longer engendered ill will. He changed in ways he never would have if not for a reality forced by a grim virus.
As the work world returns to normality, perhaps the best advice for this team is to continue meeting via videoconference! Who knew that a medium of communication, made manifest in pandemic, could negate a poisonous and negative leadership style?
