Leadership Doubt (I’ve never heard of it!)
Admittedly, the concept of “Leadership Doubt” is new to me. Despite my long experience, I had never encountered this term until I came across a research report by Robin Pou, Founder of The Leadership Doubt Index. Reading it, I began to reflect deeply on the idea, and my conclusion is simple: Leadership Doubt is very real.
I would define “Leadership Doubt” as when a leader’s confidence in their decisions and abilities devolves into full-blown uncertainty. Robin Pou captures this succinctly, stating, “All successful leaders experience what we call Leadership Doubt” at some point in their careers.
The Reality of Leadership Doubt
Consider the informal conversations around water coolers, coffee pots, and break rooms where leaders’ decisions are dissected and criticized. As my father used to say, “The woods are full of “Monday morning quarterbacks”. He chastised the ignorance of people who believed they could do someone else’s job better, despite never having done it themselves.
In full transparency, I’ve experienced Leadership Doubt more times than I’d care to admit. It is a horrible feeling and according to Pou’s research, is most commonly triggered by a heavy workload, team performance issues, or industry disruption.
These triggers can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and lower revenue for organizations. Ultimately, leaders lose enthusiasm and confidence, and this becomes evident to their direct reports, peers, and bosses.
Key Findings
The report reveals some striking statistics:
60% of leaders struggle to empower their team members effectively.
41% of leaders have considered changing jobs because of Leadership Doubt.
51% of leaders have questioned their ability to succeed in the future.
4% of leaders experience chronic leadership doubt that puts their careers at risk.
When paired with a critical, insensitive or overbearing boss, the outcomes are not good.
Careers can decline or be completely lost.
Mental and physical health conditions may emerge.
Personal and family relationships can suffer.
Overall quality of life can diminish.
Good people resign.
Common Causes of Leadership Doubt
Overextension and heavy workloads (28%) – Feeling overwhelmed by job demands and responsibilities.
Poor team performance (24%) – Managing underperforming teams make it worse.
Industry disruption (22%) – Navigating industry shifts can leave leaders unprepared to deal with their employee concerns. (I personally experienced this during the Home Furnishings industry’s migration to the Pacific Rim in the last 1990’s.)
Why Leaders Stay Silent
Many leaders remain silent and do not discuss their doubts for these reasons:
Fear of losing credibility (29%)
Fear of appearing weak (29%)
Belief that they must have all the answers (28%)
As a result, they carry this burden alone, leading to:
Burnout (65%)
Decreased job satisfaction (55%)
Short-tempered communication (35%)
Overly critical communication (33%)
Strategies to Address Leadership Doubt
Organizations can take proactive steps to mitigate Leadership Doubt:
Prepare leaders before promotion. Don’t promote and hope. Train managers, supervisors, and team leaders early in leadership skills and decision-making.
Train seasoned leaders. Focus on emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, accountability, and communication skills.
Avoid performance punishment. Be cautious not to overburden high performers with excessive responsibilities just because they are successful. Especially in a crisis when they have a full plate to begin with.
Address poor performers and toxic employees. Often, they are root causes of leadership stress. Even if they are not, they can be a direct cause for poor team performance.
Intervene early. Observant managers can recognize when their team members are struggling. Don’t let this happen. Communicate frequently and offer timely support. (Do not tell them what you would do).
Be transparent: When furniture plants were closing every other week, John Bassett met with all employees frequently and shared the good news and the bad news. He never over exaggerated or embellished the challenge. The rest of the story? His company is still manufacturing furniture in America today, something industry analysts thought was impossible.
Leadership Doubt is not a sign of failure, but it can feel that way to an employee. It can be the result of poor leadership decisions, support systems or unreasonable expectations.
By recognizing what it is, addressing the root causes and being aware of its existence, organizations can turn doubt into a catalyst for stronger, more resilient leaders
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