The Dangers of Absentee Leadership
Leaders MIA have a demoralizing effect on teams
When staff describe a “bad boss,” they often use terms such as “domineering,” “micromanaging” or even “toxic.” It’s true; many employees I talk to have experienced managers who undermined their teams by being overbearing or controlling. But there’s another kind of leadership that can be just as damaging to staff: absentee leaders.
Scott Gregory described this type of “incompetent leader” in a 2018 Harvard Business Review article:
Absentee leaders are people in leadership roles who are psychologically absent from them. They were promoted into management, and enjoy the privileges and rewards of a leadership role, but avoid meaningful involvement with their teams. Absentee leadership resembles the concept of rent-seeking in economics — taking value out of an organization without putting value in. As such, they represent a special case of laissez-faire leadership, but one that is distinguished by its destructiveness.
One of the bedrock principles of conscious leadership is investing in your team. That means doing more than just executing on the hard skills needed to do your job. It means seeing yourself as a coach who empowers your team to grow themselves. That requires time, energy, and commitment. But if you view your career as more than just climbing a ladder or making a higher salary, and see it as an opportunity to help others reach their dreams, it becomes a purpose-driven mission to improve the world around you.
Surprisingly, absentee leadership has a worse effect on staff than destructive leadership. While employees can bounce back from an overbearing boss in about six months, employees say their job satisfaction is damaged for about two years after experiencing an absentee boss.
According to Gregory, leadership often addresses destructive leaders first because they are actively doing harm and driving away talent. But absentee leaders quietly subvert and drive away talent, which doesn’t call attention right away.
I’ve seen the destructive nature of absentee leadership when I talk to frustrated employees. They’re hungry for feedback and growth. They want to engage with mentors and get coaching. Most people don’t see their job as just a to-do list. We derive job satisfaction from learning and growing. It’s imperative to provide that opportunity to your team.
As a conscious leader, consider how you can avoid the scourge of absentee leadership in your organization. It may not grab your attention like a blaring alarm, but it is just as urgent a crisis to address if you want to build a strong, conscious team.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
P.S. I hope you’ve enjoyed this biweekly newsletter. I appreciate all the feedback y’all send when a particular issue resonates. Moving forward, the newsletter will be weekly instead of biweekly. You can expect the same conscious leadership/future of work content every Tuesday.
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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