In the October 22nd issue of the Canadian HR Reporter magazine, Sharone Bar-David provided an analysis of the results of the Abrasive Leaders Survey that she devised in conjunction with the magazine. Two hundred and fifty-six Human Resources Professionals from across Canada participated in the survey.
Highlights from the survey include:
- The male-female ratio of abrasive leaders was 60-40, respectively.
- 61% of respondents indicated that the abrasive leader’s talent and the perception that he or she is irreplaceable is a major barrier to eliminating the behaviour.
- Abrasive leaders rarely made sexist, racist or offensive comments. Two-thirds of respondents noted these behaviours occurred “never” or “rarely”.
- 75% of respondents said that abrasive leaders “often” or “very often/always” demonstrate respect with higher-ups, but are abrasive with employees.
The survey uncovered that a blind eye, other priorities, lack of skills and courage, and fear of costs allow abrasive leaders to prevail in workplaces across Canada.
The matter of abrasive leadership is complex. In many ways, organizations create or enable the problem. Often they do not offer the right help to the individual whose abrasive behaviour triggers both distress and high costs.
Click here for our analysis of the survey.
For a comprehensive report that includes the full responses to the survey’s close-ended questions, click here.
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Check out these resources on abrasive leaders from bar-David Consulting:
- Our Abrasive Leadership Risk Assessment — free download of our proprietary resource
- Trust Your Canary: Every Leader’s Guide to Taming Workplace Incivility — Sharone Bar-David’s book
- Abrasive Leaders: Five Mistakes You’ve Made when Managing Them
- How to manage an abrasive leader — Sharone Bar-David’s interview on Coaching for Leaders program
- Dealing with a Star Performer Who is Abrasive
- What We Now Know about Abrasive Leadership and Organizational Factors —results of Bar-David Consulting/Canadian HR Reporter Magazine 2012 Survey
- Abrasive Leaders—Top Ten Organizational Competencies Checklist — assess your organization’s capacity to prevent and address leaders’ harsh interpersonal conduct
- Challenges Related to Creating Respectful Work Environments — thirty minute audio interview with Sharone Bar-David
- Abrasive Bosses – Three Deadly Organizational Sins
- A note from Sharone Bar-David to leaders who have told to change their abrasive style
- Common Myths — three most common myths pertaining to abrasive managers.
- The business case for a respectful workplace — a collection of data and figures that help you quantify why it makes good business sense to maintain a respectful workplace.
- The Incivility Risk: It’s Time to Connect the Dots
- Ultimate Survival Guide for (Good) Managers: Protecting Yourself from Unfair Bullying Charges
- Respect-on-the-Go Toolkits — Bar-David Consulting’s info- and strategy-packed resource cards
- Our Blog – check out our blog entries focused on respectful workplace issues.
- Learning Hub — learn for free together with your team. Initiate thoughtful discussion in your team about respectful workplace issues using our Learning Hub tools.
