Welcome to the the final article in my leadership series.
There is a well-known concept in Judaism that you should not rule your household through fear.
Let’s examine for a moment what that means:
Say there was a family where everyone was absolutely terrified of the man of the house. He overreacted terribly and violently whenever anyone did something he didn’t like.
One day when his son was playing around in the house, he banged into the wall and the kitchen fire-extinguisher fell to the floor and was badly damaged, probably so much so that it won’t work anymore.
He heard his father coming into the house and was so terrified of his reaction, the boy quickly hid the busted fire-extinguisher.
Now, if he had a relationship with his father based on trust and respect, he would simply tell his father what happened, suffer what consequences may or may not come, and (most importantly) the fire-extinguisher would be immediately replaced.
But that’s not what happened.
A fire in the kitchen! A fire in the neighbor’s house! A fire in one of the kid’s bedrooms!! Countless possible emergencies… and absolutely nothing anyone can do about it, and no one will know until it’s too late.
Why? Because the household was run with fear as the main source of functionality.
And why did daddy choose such a method? Because on the surface it appears to be effective. And it might be sometimes. But any positive results achieved through fear can be achieved better through respect, and with more lasting benefits for all parties involved.
So, how is this applicable in the workplace?
I honestly do see the benefits of employees fearing their employers (at least somewhat). And I definitely think an environment with absolutely no fear in the workplace could be a rather awful thing (Think: Laziness, stealing, lateness, rudeness, all with zero consequences).
But we must keep in mind several principles I’ve mentioned so far:
1. The employee is the backbone of the organization. Their success is everyone’s success.
2. The employee is imperfect and will make errors.
3. The employee has a lot to learn and plenty of room for growth.
4. I as the employer must help my employee to learn and grow from his mistakes.
How can I as an employer do this?
Well, if you have been following the other rules from the previous articles, and you are talented and charismatic, you will likely have all your employees’ respect, and you will have certainly limited the need for instilling fear in your workers.
Most people wouldn’t steal from or take advantage of an employer they like and respect.
And by limiting your fear tactics and fostering open communication with the folks on the floor, when a problem arises they will be less likely to hide from it, and more likely to approach you so you can help them to move beyond it, and become the best employee they are capable of being.
And this, of course, is beneficial to the both of you.
I hope you enjoyed this series, and bless all of you that if you are the “lower man” your boss sounds like what I’ve described (they’re out there, I promise!). And if you find your way to the top, you keep these principles in mind to create the most productive atmosphere possible:
1. Beware of obnoxious typing syndrome
2. Deal with problems, isolate them, and MOVE ON
3. Keep the appropriate levels of oversight
4. Get your hands dirty
5. Show appreciation
6. Don’t try and please everyone
7. It existed before you arrived
8. Prioritize!
9. Set clear and reasonable expectations
10. And: Don’t rule with fear
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