Emotional Agility: The Leadership Edge That Drives Sustainable Success
"There's been a long-held, mistaken belief that being the boss simply means issuing edicts or demands, and that people will follow. That's certainly no longer the case: when you make a big policy change that affects employees' lives, you need to consult them first.” says Christopher Kayes, professor of management at the George Washington University School of Business, in Washington, DC. Taken from the BBC article ‘Five Cautionary Tales of Business Leadership.
Real world examples
In these times of tech entrepreneurship and a "move fast, break things" mentality, it's not surprising that there are some high-profile examples of companies that, in their quest to push the envelope and drive innovation, have neglected the need for EI in their company cultures. In this article, we look at toxic companies built by maverick leaders who failed to develop their own EI and lacked the emotional agility to succeed, sometimes flatlining their own careers and, in other cases, causing their businesses to crash and burn.
A notable case is Uber's former CEO, Travis Kalanick, whose leadership style was marked by an aggressive, "win-at-all-costs" attitude. His lack of emotional regulation and empathy contributed to a toxic workplace culture rife with scandals, including allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. This led to a high turnover rate and damaged Uber's reputation, forcing Kalanick to resign. His downfall is often cited as a clear example of how a lack of EI can undermine leadership and damage an organisation.
We can’t explore leadership and a lack of EI without mentioning everyone's favourite tech billionaire, Elon Musk, and his current mishandling of nearly everything at X (formerly Twitter). As the BBC article details, Musk attempted to take his 'unique' leadership style from SpaceX and Tesla, companies he built from the ground up and could therefore shape in terms of culture, and apply it to Twitter. However, this "lift and shift" approach has not worked. His style has clashed with the established company culture and leadership structure.
The future of X remains highly uncertain. Kayes notes, "There remains ambiguity over who its leaders actually are—its new CEO [Linda Yaccarino] was announced in June, yet it's Musk who still seems to be pulling the levers and making public statements. That's led to broader concerns, declining monthly active users, and advertising revenues falling by more than half."
A famous case from the early 2000’s involved the leadership failures at Enron. Former executives were known for their ruthless and emotionally detached leadership, focusing solely on financial gain without regard for employees’ well-being or the ethical implications of their actions. This ultimately led to one of the largest corporate collapses in history, damaging trust in leadership and affecting the broader economy.
I highly recommend listening to the series on the Enron collapse from Wondery’s ‘American Scandal’ podcast. Additional series from ‘American Scandal’ explore other famously bad leaders with Series 65 on Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, and Series 64 on Boeing.
"Leaders serve the organisation – and that includes employees. "The world has changed so much, but many leadership tactics haven't. So much of it comes down to communication, listening and having purposeful conversations so people feel included, respected and heard. Otherwise, that's when resentment builds and trust breaks down." Larry Robertson, a Sydney-based leadership coach and author.
Leaders who lack EI often struggle to build trust, manage stress effectively, and foster strong relationships within their teams. This was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, where leaders who lacked empathy and emotional management were less effective in navigating the crisis, leading to decreased employee morale and engagement.
Building EI is crucial for motivating teams, resolving conflicts, and driving long-term success. Empathy, self-awareness, and relationship management are key traits that distinguish effective leaders from those who fail to inspire and support their teams.
In today’s ever-changing business landscape, emotional agility is not just a desirable trait, it’s essential.
For leaders aspiring to build high-performing, cohesive teams, the time to start developing emotional agility is now. Take a step back, reflect on your leadership style, and ask yourself:
Am I leading with emotional intelligence? If not, it’s time to make that shift - your team, your company, and your success depend on it!
A Little Disclaimer:
My words are my own. Whilst Chat GPT is an amazing resource to check my grammar, suggest better formatting and provide catchier headlines when my brain fog sets it, it cannot provide verifiable data without substantiation. It cannot replace experience or the passions and inspirations which fuel our professional lives. The data and trends I have included have been substantiated via the sources detailed below. The insights given in this article are based on my +21 years professional experience, my +6 years in senior leadership roles in The UAE and my own wide-ranging research. If this article has resonated with you please feel free to comment and share, feedback is always welcome and appreciated.
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