Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1886. “Jekyll and Hyde” has become a part of our language, meaning a person who is different from one situation to the next.
Can a leader be two people as described by Robert Louis Stevenson and be successful? When the employees begin to realize that their leader is two different people, they start to walk around on eggshells. They stop offering suggestions and feedback. They start operating in a small box by doing precisely what they are supposed to do exactly the way it is supposed to be done.
Why is this bad for business? Innovation comes more slowly, if at all. Efficiency gains are not realized because people aren’t stepping outside the box to find better, faster ways of doing things. Your leadership bench starts to empty because the employees aren’t growing into future leaders. They go through the motions just to survive the day without a confrontation.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s leadership happen more than the business world would like to admit. The most successful leaders are those who are consistently the same person day in and day out. They are level headed and even-keeled when faced with failure just as much as when faced with success. They handle the chaos with grace and glory the same as they handle the mundane.
Beyond being consistent, they need to be fair. Each person is treated fairly based ONLY on merit, not the favorite of the quarter. When the way people are treated is based on the leader’s current feelings of them and not based on an honest evaluation of the work they are doing the leadership style becomes inconsistent. Even though they may be the favorite of the moment, they know that can and will change in the blink of an eye even if their output doesn’t change.
Avoid being a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde leader by doing these two things:
1) Be consistent in who you are
- B authentic
- Know your values
- Stand for something
2) Treat each person fairly
- Stick to the facts
- Don’t be vague – provide tangible examples
- Remain honest in your evaluation of their work
- Look at the contribution, not the individual
From the CEO down to the employees, no one likes a Jekyll and Hyde leader. By following these two simple rules, you can avoid becoming one. Consistency is the first step a leader must take to earn the trust and respect of their employees.
Last updated on August 8th, 2020 at 06:58 am
