It may not be publicly talked about by most Leaders, but every where in the World there have been at least one Leader who has been hurt by the betrayal of a trusted one they thought was Loyal and would be there for them in their vision in the long haul.
In this Series,
We would be discussing Leadership Betrayals, Why it possibly happens and how to overcome it healthily as a Leader.
Today let us examine WHAT Betrayal in Leadership looks like;
1) False promises: Team members or colleagues may make promises they don’t intend to keep, leading to disappointment and frustration.
Sometimes these promises may not even be requested or demanded for by the Leader, but you see zealous Team Members who go on to make these promises anyways and fail to redeem these promises when it is most needed.
2) Withholding information: Key information may be deliberately withheld, hindering decision-making and causing significant problems, if a Team Member has information that can move the organization forward and make the organization spend less or produce more and decides not to say or do anything about it, these team members can be considered ad betraying the Organization.
3) Spreading rumors: Malicious gossip can erode trust and damage the leader’s reputation, if a Team Member starts to spread rumors about the organization to customers, partners or any stake holders that can patronize the organization.
4) Public criticism: Openly criticizing the leader’s decisions or actions can undermine their authority, in today’s generation where you find a lot of people resolving their conflict on social media rather than internally, it considered betrayal if the door was open and the employee goes out to criticize without tabling the matter with the Leader or Leaders.
5) Sharing sensitive information: Confidential information may be leaked to competitors or other unauthorized parties like the companies trade secret and other clearly define confidential information shared to the public on any form or for whatever kind of compensation including the company’s challenges.
In today’s world we see sensitive CCTV recordings from one company getting into social media, this has become an increasing form of Leadership and Company Betrayal.
6) Discussing internal matters externally: Sensitive discussions may be shared outside the organization, leading to potential legal and reputational risks whether with friends, competitors or whoever, it is important that there are boundaries to the kind of internal matters that should be discussed outside of the organization providing the organization is NOT covering up abuse or deadly situations.
7) Withdrawing support during difficult times: Team members may abandon the leader when facing challenges or crises, making some leaders loose faith in trusting any employee or even wanting to invest in them, because they are still hurting from employees who stay during good times and disappear during bad times.
Let’s have this very difficult and tough conversation;
What kind of Betrayal have you experienced as a Leader?
What do you think may have led to that and how did you handle it?
I am eager to read from you.
References and Resources for further reading;
Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace: Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization by Dennis S. Reina and Marilynn L. Reina
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil by Philip Zimbardo
Leadership, Betrayal and Forgiveness by Olga Epitropaki and Roy Lewicki.