Fear is a Disguise: Six Signs That You Have a Corporate Culture Ruled By Fear

Fear is a Disguise

Even though fear can be a motivating (Bear in mind that not all motivation is positive) force, it is not a helpful trait in the office. Fear slows down progress. It causes hesitation, reduces productivity, and leads to stress. 

If you have any fear in your organization, employee potential is drastically reduced and your employees work in a constant state of anxiety because of the pressure to perform.  

Fear-based leadership can often be traced back to a leader’s own fears and their lack of self-confidence. If a leader has any insecurities, ruling by fear is a way to mask their limitations. If you create an environment where people are afraid to positively challenge ideas, employees will simply fall in line and never question authority. Because if they did, leaders may have to admit that they don’t always have all the answers all the time.

Here are six signs that fear may be ruling your organization. See if you recognize any of them.

You Don’t See Any New Ideas Popping Up

When was the last time someone brought forth a new idea? If your organization lacks freshness, your employees may be afraid to advocate for new innovative practices. Leading by fear stifles creativity and creates an environment where people are afraid to throw out ideas.  They don’t want to rock the boat. These are not the behaviors of an advanced, vibrant company who wants to grow business in a competitive market.

The Office is Eerily Silent When the Boss is Around

Who doesn’t want to be on their best behavior when the boss is around? Some change is normal but a complete change is a sign they are afraid of you. How do people act when you walk into the room or office? Do their facial expressions change from smiling to serious? Do they stop talking and put their heads down? Do they look you in the eye? Or, do they communicate with you only by email and never by conversation? That’s what happens with fear and silence is not always golden.

Have you heard the saying “Would you rather be feared or respected?” That shouldn’t be an option. If you can get work done only through fear, something’s not right with your leadership. Fear breeds silence and silent engagement isn’t productive or rational for the workplace.

Having A Meeting Before The Real Meeting

If you must have a meeting before the “real” meeting because you’re afraid of what your employees will say to the boss, then fear is overpowering free-flowing thoughts. If everything must be reviewed through a “chain of command” before a meeting with a top leader, you are probably trying to configure a narrative that you know management wants to hear instead of what they need to hear. Or you making sure that your employees are not speaking about any “taboo” subjects. That type of fear leads to thought suppression, forcing people to refrain from expressing their opinions. Employees should never be censured or ostracized for sharing their thoughts or perspectives. 

Email is Always Used To CYA (Cover Your Ass)

Put it in writing! If your employees always have paper trails to cover their butt, they are afraid of repercussions. Email has become a form of self-protection because they don’t think that the leaders or the organization will have their back.

Too Much Consensus

Building a shared consensus  is great but saying “yes” to everything isn’t. If you can’t have healthy debates, it’s a sign that people are afraid to disagree with you. Healthy debate is good for sustained and long-term success. It’s important to encourage your team in an earnest debate to make the best possible decisions.

People Hiding Mistakes and Playing the Blame Game

Mistakes will happen and if you are working in a stressful environment, mistakes may increase. If your employees are so afraid of being punished, they will hide their mistakes which means they fester or explode at a later date instead of handling it efficiently before the mistake takes root.

If the blame game is prevalent, it’s a also a sign that your employees cannot take personal responsibility because they are fearful of their employment. They are afraid to be singled out because they become the focus instead of correcting the issue.

Fear-trodden employees hold your business back. Managing by fear is a hard habit to break. It means you have to trust your employees to do the right thing. If you have employees, you should foster an environment of trust. If you don’t trust them, another company will.