Positional asphyxia affecting leaders’ ability to sustain success

Positional asphyxia is a medical term used for lack of adequate breathing due to the position of the person. It is also called postural suffocation, which impacts people’s breathing capacity. I used positional asphyxia as an allegory to what some leaders do consciously or unconsciously to suffocate the positive momentum they have created in their organisations. It applies to leaders in small organisations without established processes and big entities with a history of stability. A leader’s position is meant to do one thing. To inspire others to purposely contribute to the organisations’ objectives for the benefit of the stakeholders.

However, some new and old leaders believe in teamwork and the importance of employees but need to be more amenable to changes as they mainly operate in their positions rather than from their positions. Leading from your position is not just about providing directions and support but also about understanding your position’s unique perspective and using it to develop followers to succeed.

“Leading from your position is not just about providing directions and support but also about understanding your position’s unique perspective and using it to develop followers to succeed.”

Mrs Ada has been working with six staff who have spent at least ten years with her. Some have had reasons to leave for higher pay and always crave to return to her organisation at the slightest opportunity. It is known that people quit people, not necessarily organisations, and pay is only one of the essential incentives for employees to move on. Employees value inclusion in a viable environment with civility and shared prosperity. In Mrs Ada’s case, she had led her people positively and purposefully in how she communicated, related, directed, and collaborated with her staff. Her leadership has created a positive work environment where employees feel valued and included. She led from her position and respected the dignity of her employees.

When leaders, especially those in growing organisations, complain about staff attrition, I advise them to look inward and conduct two types of surveys. Attitude and culture surveys will reveal the foundational problems with the workplace atmosphere fuelled by the most dominant communication and relational styles.

From experience from various executive coaching I have anchored, I noticed that some CEOs have reasonable minds but have learned something working against them from those who had led them. As a leadership coach, I believe that how an organisation achieves results is more important than the results declared. There are ways to achieve results that direct employees against the organisations and create an atmosphere of institutional hatred. There are ways of relating with people that make them produce results sustainably and become engaged and committed to the future of the organisations. People’s dignity is central to maintaining momentum and sustaining organisational success.

Leaders with good intentions must watch out for positional behaviour inhibiting their efforts to retain talents and build sustainable organisations. The following are a few of the positional asphyxia leaders should work on to minimise their adverse effects on people. For instance, micromanaging, not listening to feedback, or making decisions without consulting the team are all examples of positional asphyxia in leadership.

The way you speak is either from the position or in the position. Leaders who speak in the position often see themselves as number one, know it all, and unquestionably the best. They have a low appetite for listening before becoming angry, and they are licensed to use abusive words and speak derogatorily to others. I have said it several times: how we make people feel is more important than the rewards we give them.

Being number one in an organisation is not a licence for violence. Anyone has the right to be angry at situations, but human sanity requires us to be civil in communicating with others. As a leader, if you are shouting at a team member in the presence of others, the day the team member shouts back and tenders their resignation is the day you lose your credibility in the sight of others. A mature leader has control over his anger and does not use his position to embarrass others. Your position is not a licence to be arrogant, uncivilised, and aggressive towards your colleagues. Being subtle does not equate to weakness; you can be brutal in decision-making against unwanted vices without showing aggression. Aggression towards followers shows a lack of emotional intelligence and poor use of power. Leaders must be mindful of their emotions and how they affect their team members.

The second positional asphyxia is the tendency for the owner-lead to feel they can do whatever they like. This includes the feeling of being above the organisation’s policies and decorum. I have told leaders that people will listen to what they say but do what they do when they become leaders like them. Could you please follow your organisation’s policy? If you come late to meetings or pick up calls without respect for the audience, your team members will do the same if you make them the head of your branch or region. People do what leaders do if given the position of the leader.

Another delusional and positional arrogance is a lack of respect for people’s private time. Calling meetings conveniently, even on public holidays or weekends, signifies that you are leading a one-person business. Most employees, be they the top or average talents, want to work for organised business entities, not unstructured companies. They see their future at risk if their leaders’ decisions are based on emotions rather than logically following a laid-down rule for the organisation. They are concerned about the ways leaders exit or sanction their followers. They know it could be their turn soon and become uncomfortable with the leaders, not necessarily the organisation.

Registered businesses and entrepreneurs do multiple things to make money and build public profiles. The common trend is for business owners to own charitable entities, among other business interests. There should be a line between employees who are hired for business and those who are the founders’ activities in charity. Contrary to this is the notion among employees that they lose favour or are seen as not dedicated if they do not participate in everything the owners do, even if it is against their faith and convictions. Lack of separation between core and voluntary employment activities is significant for employees seeking alternatives.

The above are some of the essential attributes of a positional leader. At Mentoras Limited, I have been working with leaders to shift focus from themselves to the organisations they lead and the objectives to be achieved. It is all about the objectives, not the egos of the leaders. It is about collective wellness and well-being. One way to avoid positional asphyxia in your leadership approach is to speak and relate with people the way you would love to be related to them. It is subjugating ego to group wellness. It is relearning what you have learned by filtering your past leaders’ negative attitudes. I would appreciate it if you would like to improve on the above through reflection. In that case, you will lead people and see your organisation’s momentum increase by the day.

Babs Olugbemi FCCA, the Chief Vision Officer at Mentoras Leadership Limited and Founder of Positive Growth Africa. He can be reached on [email protected] or ‪07064176953‬ or on Twitter @Successbabs.