Are ‘inspirational’ managers bad for business?

Managers who inspire their workers to go above and beyond what is required could actually be damaging workers’ health and negatively impacting the bottom line, according to a new study.

Research, conducted at the University of East Anglia, UK, suggests that leaders who encourage employees to go the extra mile could be putting them under significant mental and physical strain. If staff ignore illness, they could fail to recover fully and spread their germs throughout a team.

“It is possible that high performance expectations pose a risk to both healthy and vulnerable employees and the motivational aspects of transformational leadership may backfire,” explained Professor Karina Nielsen.

A complex relationship

The report authors emphasise the complex relationship between inspirational managers and absence due to sickness.

In a study of Danish postal workers and their managers, the findings suggest the long-term impact of transformational leadership. 155 participants were assessed over 3 years, with sickness rising in the second year, but not the third. Those who continued to work despite illness also showed the highest levels of absenteeism by the final year.

“The assumption that ‘more transformational leadership is better’ does not hold over time,” argued Professor Kevin Daniels, co-lead of the study.

So, transformational leadership has to change?

The authors define transformation leaders as managers who encourage their staff to go above and beyond, have a clear vision of what they expect of their team, and who encourage their staff to seek out problems.

This approach can have significant positive impacts on a business, but as this research highlights, potential negative consequences should not be ignored. With the potential health impacts, and increased sickness absences in the long-run, it is important for individuals and businesses to understand the risk.

The authors suggest that management training, specifically transformational leadership, should include health considerations.

“Managers need to strike a balance, they can still encourage staff to perform well, but in a way that is not at the expense of their health and well-being,” concludes Professor Daniels.

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