Fostering an Empathetic Leadership Style and Culture to Reduce Toxicity at Workplaces (Part-1)
Dr. Anjali Desai (Bhole)
Ph.D. (Human Resources), Head-HR, DEI & OD Expert; Leadership Coach; Psychologist; Independent Board Member / Director
It was 7.30 pm and time for 10-year-old Sanvi (name changed) to take her meal and medicine prescribed by the doctor. ?But she skipped both waiting for her mother who was on a long call with her boss. Sanvi was anxious as she knew something was wrong and could hear her mother's distraught & disturbed voice. After more than four hours her mother came out of the room and was emotionally drained and broken. Her mother just burst into tears when she realized Sanvi had skipped her meal and medicines out of concern and worry for her mother.
This is just one scenario of what toxic managers are like; and the toxicity they spread among their employees, which also extends beyond the workplace to the personal lives of employees. Physiological and behavioral changes are some of the outcomes that can be attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) aka chronic diseases, with stress being a major contributing factor to NCDs. A survey conducted by Rakuten Insight found that 38% of employees in India reported high rates of burnout and stress symptoms frequently. The report further states - ‘toxic workplace behavior’ emerged as the leading factor, accounting to over 60 percent, in predicting burnout symptoms and intent to leave.
These findings assume significance in the present workplaces and especially in the context of the recent tragic incident at E&Y. The young professional succumbed to high stress-induced health complications, according to news available in the public domain. My heart goes out to the family of the young lady, and no words can truly capture the depth of their loss. This incident also highlights a widespread issue that many organizations are grappling with today - employee burnout.
A close friend of mine, a senior professional in the pharmaceutical industry, called me the same day the above news broke. Her young daughter, who works at one of the Big 4 firms, had shared several concerns with her, which reflect a larger issue amongst several other organizations. (a) Employees work late into the night / carry work home almost every day (b) Many of the activities, meetings and interactions including town halls are conducted online (c) Many people have not had the chance to go on an uninterrupted vacation / take leaves they are eligible for (d) Several colleagues only interact online during projects, making it hard to build real connections (e) Managing expectations of bosses is becoming extremely difficult for most employees and the stress is overwhelming. ?Most of us have experienced shades of toxic managers and toxicity at workplaces, we have either made peace with the situation and accepted it or left jobs quietly, for ‘better job prospects.'
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Here I would like to quote the State of the Global Workplace Gallup Report which says, 44% of employees globally have experienced daily work-related stress for two consecutive years. Additionally, 59% of employees reported feeling disengaged or are "quiet-quitting" — a strategy they use to protect their mental health from further harm.
It is essential that leadership acknowledges and addresses these challenges head-on.
(Will be continued......)?
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Leadership Coach, Author 'The Emotional Overdraft' & Non Executive Director in people based businesses
3 周Dr. Anjali, those Gallup statistics reveal just how crucial it is for leaders to prioritise employee mental health. When nearly half of employees feel daily stress, it’s time to reevaluate how we’re supporting well-being in the workplace. I’ve found that leaders often carry their own emotional overdrafts, which affects not only their health but also the culture they create. I created a free self-assessment for leaders and teams to identify what’s driving their stress and burnout. Check it out here:?https://emotionaloverdraft.com/self-assesment/.
Certified Coach and Senior People & Culture Leader
1 个月Thank you Dr. Anjali Desai (Bhole), for sharing this insightful piece on empathetic leadership and toxic work cultures. The constant pressure to be productive, and the tendency to entangle self-worth with output, is something I see regularly in my work as a coach. Particularly for high performers, including many with South Asian heritage, this drive often leads to burnout and a deep sense of disconnection. It’s critical to support leaders in cultivating empathy, not just for their teams, but for themselves, to break free from these harmful cycles and foster healthier, more sustainable work environments.
Founder’s Office at Fourth Partner Energy | Renewable Energy
1 个月Thank you so much Dr. Anjali Desai (Bhole) You continue to inspire and bring key issues to the forefront. Look forward to the next post and will continue seeking your advise on workplace matters!
Educator | Content Writer | Poet | Published Author | Public Speaker
1 个月I, who has recently lost my mother, exactly two months back, I can relate to this post on so many levels as my workplace was not at all cooperative during my most sensitive and crucial time period. They gave me leaves to fulfill the customs, as a result I can't apply for leaves now, anyways, I got zero help from the management to complete my work, rather I took the responsibility of both the places, which did burn me out and now at times I can't even remember stuff due to extra pressure of responsibilities. I really wish the work culture would develop humanity within themselves and stop being robots and "STOP PRODUCING ROBOTS".
Human Resource Professional | HR Operations | Compliances | Training and Devlopment | People Management | IIMK Certified | BHU Alumni | CS (Executive)
1 个月Insightful!!! Psychological safety is very crucial and every leaders need to understand.