5 common behaviors that can hurt your team

1. Constantly looking for agreement

Conflict is inevitable on any team, Chhaya writes, but managers often see conflict as "disruptive to team cohesion and a threat to their ability to lead."

When conflict arises, some leaders shut it down entirely or ignore it. And while it may seem helpful to have everyone get along, it can ultimately damage team morale.

Chhaya highlights a former executive coworker of his who was so uncomfortable with conflict that they dealt with team tensions by pretending that things were fine and staying out of other people's drama.

As a manager, this executive always wanted everyone to be aligned, which Chhaya says stifled motivation and independent thinking. For example, if anyone suggested a creative project that challenged the status quo, the executive either dismissed it as unnecessarily disruptive or only thought about it after team consensus. This led to an over-reliance on groupthink, which then led to his department being one that most employees didn't want to join for career growth, as it had a reputation for stagnant business practices.

While these executives typically mean well, their desire to seek agreement is based on the idea that everyone shares the same comforts and discomforts as them. "But effective team leadership requires accepting when individual values, strengths and aspirations may be at odds with each other and leveraging people's differences rather than shutting them down or wishing them away," Chhaya writes.

2.  Being overprotective of the team

Many leaders often shield their team from intra-company problems they believe could derail motivation. And while these leaders may consider themselves protectors of their team, they could be doing them a disservice, Chhaya writes.

Chhaya cites one of his coaching clients who talked about his team "as if he was their defender within the company, keeping them supported when dealing with other divisions and corporate demands," often reminding his team that he "had their back" when needing to fight for shared resources or achieve milestones with other departments.

However, this client also withheld important, cross-company feedback from his team, figuring they were better off not knowing, Chhaya writes. As a result, the client came across as unrealistically optimistic when faced with any negative input, didn't coach his team with critical feedback, and dismissed any criticisms instead of learning from them.

Team members need honest and transparent coaching to grow, Chhaya writes. It's important to be careful when seeing yourself as a "hero to your staff," as doing so can stifle your team's learning of how to collaborate and influence effectively.

3. Not learning when getting results

Managers who get results are often the ones who make decisions and act quickly. These managers often see themselves as helpful by motivating their team towards quick results, Chhaya writes. But doing so can leave very little time for reflection, insight, and alignment of purpose, risking eventual team derailment.

In one-on-ones, Chhaya recommends integrating learning, reflection, and purpose into every discussion related to execution. You could ask questions like, "What was the most pivotal action that led to these outcomes and is there anything we should be doing differently?" Or, "Why is this project important to you and how can we make it more aligned with your goals?"

4. Being too involved or not being involved at all

While micromanagement is a common behavior of toxic leaders, even the most benevolent leaders can end up micromanaging their team when they refuse to delegate and give their team autonomy, Chhaya writes.

Chhaya notes one CFO he coached who had "an insatiable need to follow up with team members after every action they took, asking background questions out of curiosity and offering new suggestions so they "'weren't missing anything.'"

This client believed these interactions weren't judgmental because "we're in this together," but his team saw it as time-consuming and redirecting energy that ultimately reduced productivity. And since no one wanted to push back on him because of his seniority, they went along with it while feeling demotivated privately.

Other managers see themselves as being helpful by empowering their team and rarely being around, choosing to compartmentalize their attention, focusing on strategy instead of operations, Chhaya writes.

But these managers can also hurt their team by appearing absent or aloof. A team's success is dependent on developing future talent and ensuring operational effectiveness, which require accessibility and active presence, Chhaya writes.

5. Trying to be everyone's friend

Often, managers believe that treating their team like family or friends is the best way to be supportive, but "personal affiliation isn't the same as effective teamwork," Chhaya writes. Being friends with your employees can cause confusion and perceptions of favoritism, forced loyalty, and even unethical boundary crossing.

Development opportunities and a sense of purpose can more effectively improve employee engagement. Managers would be better served focusing less on being a fun person to hang out with and more on being a source of learning, providing insight, and removing obstacles towards advancement, Chhaya writes.

"Leaders who want to support their teams are certainly a greater asset to an organization and its people. But their helpfulness can unexpectedly harm their team," Chhaya writes. "Be aware of these specific tendencies to make sure your support isn’t counterproductive."

Advisory Board resources on leadership

Healthcare leaders often have to embrace change and lead through complexity. To know if you're asking the right leadership questions, Advisory Board offers four questions you should ask to help you navigate complexity and sustain your teams.

In addition, healthcare leaders often face complex challenges that can't be solved with existing knowledge, skills, or approaches. But the concept of adaptive leadership, a framework developed by leadership experts Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky, can offer a new way to think about approaching complex challenges and transformative change.

Advisory Board offers a workbook as an introduction to adaptive leadership to help leaders better understand, internalize, and apply the core concepts of the practice.

Great leaders are the driving force behind an effective team and a successful organization. To learn how to become one, Advisory Board outlines four ways leaders can develop their skills by practicing self-advocacy, coaching staff, increasing employee engagement, and creating an inclusive environment. (Chhaya, Harvard Business Review, 4/8)