People in the team notice how the manager reacts to problems, disagreements and bad news. Such actions may reveal more about working conditions than general messages about company values.
If we want independent proposals, we should allow people to explain their assessment without fear of humiliation. If we expect responsibility, it is necessary to clearly allocate authority and admit our own part of the failure. An appearance of constant positivity cannot replace that consistency.
Leadership can be improved through one specific change: a better conversation, a clearer task or a better reaction to a warning. It is important to check afterwards whether the change really made work easier, instead of stopping at good intentions.
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