Don’t Pull Rank. Build Influence Instead
The High Cost of Low Emotional Intelligence
Hey, fellow Leader 🚀,
I am Artur, and welcome to my weekly newsletter. I am focusing on topics like Project Management, Innovation, Leadership, and a bit of Entrepreneurship. I am always open to suggestions for new topics. Feel free to reach out to me and share my newsletter if it helps you in any way.
It was a summer afternoon, and my Teams was blinking with endless conversations around a project. One of those particular threads was an exchange between two members of management sharing feedback, which rapidly escalated into a conflict. One party was providing updates on recent progress for a vital company initiative, while the other was raising alerts about potential issues that could jeopardize it. Before anyone realized what was happening, a phrase was typed into the chat: “Are you the one managing the team?” followed soon by, “Check with your manager before checking with me.” Well, that escalated quickly.
Pulling Rank Is a Sign of Weak Leadership
People make mistakes all the time, and sometimes emotions get the better of us. When people are emotionally invested in a project, and progress is not meeting expectations, tensions may rise, and people might end up saying things they regret.
For a leader, having little control over their emotional intelligence is detrimental to the team and the project. Having a hard time finding good arguments against opposing views is more common than people might think. That’s why the exchange of ideas should be encouraged to find the best path forward. When a discussion ends abruptly with an “I am the one in charge” stance, it is more often than not a sign of weak leadership. Doing that too often will deteriorate stakeholder engagement. Or worse, discourage people from providing honest feedback or alerts due to fear of repercussions.
A leader should always maintain healthy information flows from different parts of the company and ongoing projects. The better the information is, the more solid the decisions can be. Pulling rank sends the wrong messages:
The person doesn’t need feedback or help
Opposing views are not valued, or instructions are being passed down the chain of command without a clear view of the goal.
Regardless of the case, engagement will soon be affected, and significant issues may occur with little to no prior notice. It’s like someone warning there is a chance that a certain meteorite is heading our way, only for the leader to dismiss it by saying they know better. When the meteorite is about to hit the project, part of the team has already checked out or has an escape plan in progress, being the leader the only one surprised by something that could have been prevented weeks ago.
Emotional Intelligence Is Key
If someone is working on a complex project, one thing is certain: things will go wrong. There is no human way to prevent or predict every instance of undesirable events from happening. What is under our control is how we react to those undesirable situations. Better emotional control tends to lead to clearer, more informed decisions. Of course, this is easier said than done, but it is important to highlight that managing our emotions (and our reactions) plays a massive role in how bad events are handled by everyone involved.
Leaders are expected to guide teams through tough situations. If a leader appears desperate or overly emotional, the team may have a hard time following their lead due to a perceived lack of authority or competence. In complex situations, having the team truly “on board” to navigate out of a storm makes the path much smoother than a team simply forcing itself into action and reacting blindly to what is happening.
In Case of Doubt, Play Cool
If you are working in an unstable environment and someone pulls rank or dismisses an initiative, the first step is to avoid reacting to provocations. At least until you understand what is actually happening. Gathering more information is vital to drawing a clear picture of the situation. Believe me when I say that staying “cool” during turbulence is perceived as a sign of strength. In the example I shared earlier, it was important to understand why people were behaving that way before the situation escalated further.
No C-level executive wants a leader in their organization who reacts emotionally to negative events. The leader who stays calm and articulates their point of view is the one who gains the most trust and influence over decisions. Remember, some leaders might actually be in a “testing period” before they fully settle into their roles. A lot may be going on behind the scenes. Therefore, it is key to read the environment and ensure information flows healthily, providing high-quality insights to those who need them.
That’s it. If you find this post useful, please share it with your friends or colleagues who might be interested in this topic. If you would like to see a different angle, suggest it in the comments or send me a message.
Cheers,
Artur