‘You don’t listen! You lead from “my way or the highway”. People don’t come and tell you anything because they know they’ll be dismissed or ignored!’ That was Rose, a colleague of mine from over 30 years ago. The moment I heard those words, I felt everything go silent except for the blood pounding in my ears. I had to take a deep breath to recognise that she had held a mirror up to my face and I wasn’t liking what I saw. My initial reaction was to defend and offend. Luckily, I came to my senses quick enough to realise the courage she’d displayed in confronting me about my behaviour. After all, no one wants to get on the wrong side of their boss. I’ll always remember that as a pivotal moment that had me considering whether I was the reason my people never told me anything. We’ve talked extensively about the detrimental impact that a lack of honest dialogue has on a business. What we’ve got to consider now is the types of leadership attributes that can encourage people to come out of the shadows and feel safe to speak up. In my experience, effective leaders who promote […]