Nothing turns off commitment more than leadership that generates fear.
There are organizations where people “comply” and others where people get involved. The difference is not in the processes or the benefits, but in something much more subtle: the emotional atmosphere that is breathed every day.
In a culture of fear, mistakes are punished, ideas are silenced, and silence becomes a survival mechanism. People work from tension, caring for their position more than their purpose. Leaders, often without realizing it, reproduce this logic: they control, correct, demand and – in the name of efficiency – end up generating paralysis, demotivation and exhaustion.
In an organization where I worked, the manager, anxious, asked for many things at once without being understood. When he was not understood, he raised his voice, generating stress. In meetings he exposed mistakes in front of everyone, humiliating and comparing, which left people with low self-esteem. On the other hand, in other companies that my team and I accompany, the leaders understood that trust multiplies energy and collaboration. Owners and managers talk as a team and individually, listen to their collaborators, recognize and show with respect what works and what doesn’t.
That difference changes everything. In the culture of fear, distrust spreads; In a culture of trust, commitment flourishes. And that flourishing is the secret of organizations that last.
Getting out of fear involves a leap of consciousness: from controlling to trusting, from demanding to inspiring, from commanding to talking. It is not immediate, but it begins with a decision: that of a leader who dares to look at himself first, to review what messages he transmits with his gestures, silences and words.
Reflection:
What emotion dominates your meetings: fear or excitement?
Do people express themselves freely or cautiously?
What do we do when something goes wrong: do we look for blame or do we learn together?
Culture is not just what we say we are, but how we treat each other and even more so when something goes wrong. If we want people to stay; let’s create spaces where people choose to stay.
Roxana G. Ponzo, CPN & Professional Master Coach
More than 20 years accompanying companies and work teams, in alliance with professionals committed to transforming cultures and developing conscious leadership.
Contact details
Linkedin: Roxana PONZO
Instagram: Roxana Ponzo Coach andtraintc.gr
Wapp: +54 9 11 6290 7692
email: [email protected]
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