Leading Without Fear: How Compassion Drives Team Performance

We've all been there. Leading a chaotic, overwhelming project with no time to get ahead and too much work to do, and leaders breathing down our necks - frustration starts to build. You outlined the tasks, so where is the team with your deliverables? When projects start to slip, tests continue to fail, and budgets creep out of control, as leaders we have to ask ourselves, "How did we get here?"

Fortunately or unfortunately in these scenarios, we have to first acknowledge that we didn't get here overnight. Ongoing issues often build momentum and escalate into the situation at hand. We then have to ask ourselves, "How did I lead this team? " and most importantly, "Did anyone ever ask me for help?" Sometimes, it can feel easier to blame our team for the shortcomings of a project, however, if our team doesn't feel like they can bring bad news to your attention, admit mistakes, or ask for help without the fear of being punished, you won't discover these shortcomings until its too late. Fear, though it can be a powerful motivator, is a cheap tool in a leader's toolbelt.

When we create cultures of fear, we create cultures of dishonesty. Team members don't have the courage to tell us how they are feeling, if they are stuck, if they are falling behind, or if they don't know how to do something. Instead, they will tell us what we want to hear to avoid our wrath. As a result, real issues on the project will be shoved under the rug and hidden from our view, not to be uncovered until it's too late. Even if we have the power to help resolve them, if the team can't bring the issues to us in a timely matter, we lose the opportunity to effectively resolve them before they escalate.

How can we fix this? The short answer: compassion.

Creating a space where team members can make mistakes, raise their hands and proudly say, "I don't know how to do this, can someone help me?" - and be met with support - creates a culture where issues are solved before they develop. This openness allows issues to be reframed as learning opportunities that bring value to current and future projects. When people trust their leader rather than feel threatened by you, they can find strength in their vulnerability. If we allow our teams to be human, to be imperfect, and to make mistakes, we can empower solutions that keep our projects on track and drive innovation.

Psychological safety is the foundation of this type of work environment. According to the Harvard Business Review, psychological safety is defined as, "a shared belief held by members of a team that it's OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns to speak up with questions and to admit mistakes - all without fear of negative consequences1".

It is important to cultivate psychological safety at a group level, as members of a group are more likely to share levels of psychological safety even though it can occur at an individual level1. In this space, team members will learn from their mistakes, reducing the likelihood that they will repeat them over time. The leader's job is to cultivate this in the group. This creates a culture of learning and continuous improvement, which can lead to greater efficiencies in design, development, and production. Over time, this drives down costs to execute projects, and team efficiency and performance increases.

When there is no penalty for making a mistake, but rather mistakes are treated as opportunities to learn and explore how value can be added to your team, fewer mistakes get made over time and your team's confidence grows and its performance improves.

The advantages of creating a psychologically safe environment extend far beyond error reduction. Additional benefits include:

• Authenticity: Team members can show up as their true selves, increasing job satisfaction and engagement.

• Creativity: Employees feel free to share new ideas and think outside the box without fear of rejection or punishment.

• Collaboration: Open communication fosters stronger collaboration as team members are more likely to lean on each other for support.

When leaders make space for vulnerability and growth, they not only empower their teams to deliver better results but also create a culture where innovation thrives.

References

1. Harvard Business Review. (2023, February). What is psychological safety? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/02/what-is-psychological-safety