◆How should you lead so that your guidance is not taken as a form of power harassment (bullying at work) by your subordinates?
Being nervous or timid about leading will not allow you to perform appropriate guidance, and will not lead to the growth of your subordinates.
We will now introduce you to specific leadership methods that are not forms of power harassment and can also contribute to the growth of your subordinates.
◆Reassess the purpose of your scolding and lecturing
In leading, ‘scolding’ can be seen as power harassment. Right now, reassess the purpose of your scolding.
When do you scold your subordinates? Your purpose should be to improve them and to stop them from making bad decisions, such as when they do not appropriately complete their work or when they continue to make mistakes.
Nothing will change however if you deny the kind of people your subordinates are, if you look down on them, or if you resort to violence.
On the contrary, your subordinates might oppose you, and become extremely afraid of their superior and of doing the work in of itself.
As long as you do not forget that the purpose of your scolding is to ‘Lead your subordinates in the right direction,’ then you will not perform power harassment.
◆What is inappropriate leadership?
You fail as a leader if your guidance does not lead to the growth of your subordinates, even if you are not technically performing power harassment.
・Emotional guidance
・Abstract guidance
・Being indifferent to how you speak and convey information to your subordinates
・Giving one-size-fits-all guidance without thinking about who you are dealing with or the surrounding circumstances
It is difficult to speak to and convey information to your subordinates using leadership methods like the ones above. They may simply oppose you or feel animosity towards you, they may lose self-confidence or get into a slump, and it is even possible that it may lead to damaging their wellbeing.
◆What is appropriate leadership?
Appropriate leadership is the opposite of what was just mentioned.
・Don’t be emotional, have a firm awareness of what the goal is you want them to achieve when you give guidance.
・Focus on specific actions and content that you want to see
・Confirm the ways that you speak and convey information to your subordinates
・Respond to your subordinates and the situation and lead on a case by case basis.