To increase growth and innovation, it’s essential to have talented individuals with different perspectives. In some cases, diverse voices may be seen as a threat, rather than an opportunity, by leadership. When confronted with dissent, some leaders treat those who raise issues as troublemakers, excluding them instead of addressing the actual problems. This behavior often stems from a sense of insecurity: leaders, feeling exposed by their own shortcomings, choose to evade responsibility, strive to maintain their image, and avoid confronting issues and challenges head-on.
For example, a newly appointed marketing director at a financial firm didn’t receive due recognition for her innovative ideas. She spent 60 days thoroughly analyzing the state of the company, posing challenges, and conducting meticulous market response research. Utilizing this information, she performed a rigorous gap analysis to check if marketing initiatives were reaching the target customer base. Her analysis was acknowledged by her colleagues, and she then developed a detailed three-step plan as directed by her boss, providing strategic recommendations to bridge the gaps she found.
Unfortunately, her efforts went unrecognized by the leadership. Her boss criticized her for raising issues that were too difficult to solve and even told her that her questions were causing discomfort and trouble. The company had hired her hoping she would assist in its progression, but the senior management already considered themselves sufficiently excellent.
Clearly, such an attitude from leaders often limits the company’s development. This is not an uncommon scenario; in many organizations, some leaders fear confronting issues they cannot resolve and avoid acknowledging the problem’s existence. The gap between them is the discomfort of “knowing the problem” versus “not being able to provide a solution,” a feeling they are eager to dismiss. Often, the thornier the problem, the more likely leaders are to punish those brave enough to delve into it.
Especially when the issues touch upon core values or moral topics (such as sexual harassment, pay equity, etc.), leaders are more likely to demonize those raising concerns and may push them out, turning a blind eye to the actual issues. Take Ross LaJeunesse, former Google executive in China, for example; he worked nearly a decade at Google dedicated to protecting human rights, committed to making policies for uncensored search results, supporting freedom of expression, and data privacy. This earned Google acclaim. As a leader with numerous managerial responsibilities, LaJeunesse earned the trust of his colleagues, and his performance in China business and overall work was recognized.
By the time 2019 arrived, some companies underwent significant shifts. For LaJeunesse, his company was gradually deviating from its initial core values, prompting him to begin persuading executive management to steer back on the proper course. LaJeunesse not only promoted his views internally but also co-signed a letter with more than a thousand colleagues, sharply criticizing the company’s lack of transparency in its Chinese operations.
LaJeunesse’s public dissent led to conflict with the company’s leadership and he encountered considerable pushback. In one incident, a human resources director inadvertently copied him on an email that revealed criticisms directed at LaJeunesse personally, while ignoring the issues he was concerned about. This was strikingly similar to the marketing director’s experience—instead of addressing the problems, the leaders targeted the individuals raising them.
Such situations are not only present within certain organizations; they can arise anywhere and subtly influence various aspects of corporate operations. The most critical areas include marketing, sales, product design, and industry trends, among others.
For every leader, how should you change the way you respond to questions posed by your employees? To effectively face and address these challenges, the following suggestions are of utmost importance:
- Firstly, recognize and confront the existence of problems. In the cases mentioned above, whether in Google or in the financial businesses, leaders were aware of these issues before they were reported by employees. Yet, faced with discomfort, they chose to blame those who had the courage to speak up.
- Ask yourself if these work environments can be described with words like “disruption,” “change,” or “growth.” Your organization not only acknowledges difficulties but also realizes that progress can only be made by solving problems.
- Next, prepare a set of procedures ready to tackle complex challenges. As revealed by Rita McGrath’s research, some companies that have dominated the market for 20 years now may only maintain a significant position for about 5 years. This means the market’s constant changes demand that we continuously learn, adapt, grow, and dare to try new things.
- Consider whether your organization has mechanisms in place to deal with complex problems, whether employees can freely voice the challenges they face, and whether the company regularly seeks input from its employees.
As a leader, while learning how to let thorny issues come to the surface, you should also ponder how much of your time is spent dealing with major problems that seem intractable.
Leaders should focus on solving problems rather than criticizing those who raise them. In dealing with problems and challenges, the leader’s role is to seek solutions, not to blame those who bravely speak out. If leaders find that employees no longer bring problems to them, they should reflect on the reasons rather than ignore or demonize these voices. It could be because employees feel that leaders no longer care, or that leaders are uninterested in their insights. Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell once pointed out that leaders lose the trust of their employees, and with it their ability to lead, from the moment an issue is brought to them.
In management practice, leaders should not solely focus on and celebrate the successes of the company, but rather pay more attention to the challenges that can bring long-term wisdom to the organization, thereby truly encouraging progress. When employees bring up issues that need attention, whether leaders can provide sufficient recognition and rewards directly affects the organization’s progress and development. Those employees who dare to raise questions are helpers, not complainers; their aim is to propel the organization forward and assist leaders to consider problems from different perspectives.
When we encounter problems, we may sometimes feel anxious, but this anxiety represents a temporary emotion, not a dire situation. The great poet Rumi once said, if we become angry at every instance that causes friction, how then can our hearts be polished? This is precisely the point of the process; we crave progress and growth, even if it is a process of continually overcoming anxious emotions. In the process of solving problems, we need to help and support each other. Therefore, when discussing individuals with problems, the appropriate approach is to ask: “Should the problem be solved by them, or by us?”
When facing challenges, leaders should be able to admit their shortcomings, and also be able to switch their thinking in a timely manner to drive progress in the company. Therefore, all members of management should possess such ability and mindset to promote a work environment that is united, cooperative, and continuously learning and growing.
