One of the most important skills that any leader must have is the one you will never get any praise for and it will never be part of a competency assessment. You won’t even get positive feedback when you use it. However, it is a skill that is essential to the motivation, performance and the success of your team. That skill is the ability to have courageous conversations.
In a recent Dilbert comic strip, Scott Adams introduced a new character – the toxic employee.
Every relationship is touched by the toxic employee – trust vanishes overnight; every idea or glimpse of creativity drowns in waves of negativity. Star performers become less productive or worse, start looking for other jobs just to get away from the poisoned atmosphere.
You, as a leader, need to intervene as soon as possible to prevent the rot spreading – toxicity is infectious.
