Leaders who give a team member a flurry of attention often do so to make the person more committed and loyal to them.
Attention makes people feel special, while profuse attention makes people feel obligated. This calculated behavior is designed to draw the team member in and make them more dependent on or beholden to the leader.
If the team member is known to have high potential or has enjoyed a recent victory, offering excessive attention can make the leader feel powerful and a catalyst for even greater success.
This manipulative tactic is often unconscious and deployed by leaders who are deeply insecure and crave control. And this tactic is not hard to discern.
Leaders who attention bomb typicallyshower the targeted person with praise and excessive flattery, increase their ongoing communication with them, get them involved in highly coveted projects or assignments, include them in exclusive gatherings or meetings, and give them access to sensitive information.
The intensity of this attention bombing doesn’t last for too long. After several weeks, leaders who attention bomb turn their focus on a new target who has caught their interest.
They particularly like the dependency this tactic creates with new team members and those who have achieved extraordinary recent results. For those leaders addicted to attention bombing, they move from target to target like a child moves from one shiny new toy to another.
Team members who witness this behavior can’t help but see the pattern. They know someone will soon be the focus of this excessive attention. The only question is, who is next?
The predictable attention on someone new undermines the trust and confidence the team has in the leader. They have a difficult time believing the leader’s praise and attention about anyone is sincere and genuine.
Leaders who want to break the habit must first become aware of the signs and then refrain from focusing too much attention on any one team member, no matter how worthy they might seem.
Setting limits as to how much attention any one person should receive usually does the trick. By more equally distributing their praise, recognition, and focus throughout the team, leaders who feel the need to attention bomb can curtail this behavior and regain the confidence of the team.
Good leaders don’t drop the bomb on any one person.
