This is the second in a series of blog posts about common blunders leaders make that send a message of being unavailable to employees. See our previous post in this blog series on leader blunders.
Leader Blunder No. 2: Displaying unavailable body language. Leaders are a lot like celebrities in that virtually their every move comes under some kind of scrutiny. It’s not uncommon for employees to look at leaders through a zoom lens, observing moods, tones, body language. If leaders tend to wear their stress levels on their sleeves, employees might take that as a cue that they should stay away.
A furrowed brow might say, “Don’t talk to me.” A faint “hi” or even lack of acknowledgement in the hallway might translate into, “I’m disappointed in your performance.” We’re not suggesting leaders shouldn’t be themselves or they should walk on eggshells. We’re suggesting that leaders think about how their nonverbal language might sometimes unintentionally send the wrong messages to employees.
What are the potential costs of “unavailable” body language? It could mean:
- an idea left unshared
- a question left unanswered
- an issue left to fester
Do you have examples to share of “unavailable” body language?