How to be a supportive leader without burning out

🔑 How to Build Psychological Safety in Your Team: A Practical Guide Yesterday, We talked about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and how psychological safety is the foundation that lets your team move from survival to self-actualization 🚀. Today, let’s dive into how you can build that safety in your team every day: 1️⃣ Start with Clear Intentions Begin meetings by stating the purpose and inviting input from everyone. Ask, “What are we missing?” or “Any concerns before we start?” to create openness. 🗣️ 2️⃣ Model Vulnerability Share your own mistakes and lessons. Try saying, “I missed a deadline last week—here’s what I learned.” This shows it’s okay not to be perfect. 🤝 3️⃣ Thank and Act on Feedback When someone speaks up, thank them genuinely 🙌 and take visible action. Showing that you listen builds trust. 4️⃣ Create Safe Feedback Channels Offer anonymous surveys 💬 or suggestion boxes alongside open discussions so everyone can share comfortably. 5️⃣ Conduct Blameless Retrospectives After projects, review what worked, what didn’t, and what to learn—without blame. Keep it positive and forward-focused 🔄. 6️⃣ Check in Emotionally Start meetings with quick check-ins: “On a scale of 1-10, how are you feeling today?” or “What’s on your mind?” This builds connection and safety 💖. 7️⃣ Hold Leaders Accountable Make psychological safety part of how you and your managers are evaluated 📊. Leadership behavior drives culture. Start small—try one or two steps this week and watch your team begin climbing Maslow’s pyramid together, unlocking creativity and peak performance ✨. Try it out :) Let’s grow together! NeoBehaviorist — Decoding business & behavior #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #MaslowHierarchy #TeamCulture #Trust #Innovation #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #Collaboration #TeamBuilding #GrowthMindset #InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #Business #Success #MentalHealth

Managing underperformance is hard. Even with the right guidance, it rarely feels simple. Why? Because underperformance isn’t just about performance. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. Too often, we treat it as a problem to fix—or a person to exit. But sometimes it’s actually a signal: 🔍 Of unclear expectations 🔍 Of skill misalignment 🔍 Of a system that isn’t supporting success Behind every performance drop is a story worth understanding. That doesn’t mean avoiding tough conversations. It means starting them with the right lens—and a plan to move forward. Below, I share some tips on how to approach and manage underperformance: Explore the full article here 👉 http://aihr.ac/3J7xYSJ 💬 What’s one thing you’ve learned about handling underperformance that’s changed your approach? 🔁 Save this post for your next team check-in or share it with a leader who’s navigating a tough situation.

When Dealing with Underperformance When dealing with underperformance, it’s not just about identifying who didn’t meet expectations — it’s also about whether the expectations themselves are clear and consistent. Sometimes, the same manager sets different standards for different people. While some are given chances and guidance, others are judged more harshly for similar issues. This inconsistency doesn’t just affect fairness — it weakens trust, demotivates the team, and makes it harder to drive real improvement. True performance management isn’t about blame. It’s about clarity, consistency, and fairness. When expectations are applied equally, feedback becomes meaningful, and improvement becomes possible.

Excellent reminder from Dr Dieter Veldsman (Phd)— underperformance isn’t a people flaw, it’s often a system signal. In organizational transformation, we see this repeatedly: unclear expectations, skill misalignment, or structural gaps drive disengagement long before capability truly declines. Sustainable performance begins with understanding before intervention. #Leadership #OTD #AIHR #TalentDevelopment #FutureOfWork

Ever thought, “I just want my team to respect me, but I don’t want to micromanage”? This is one of the biggest unspoken challenges new managers face. You care about your people, you want results, and somehow you end up caught between the two. Here’s the truth➡️ it’s not the control you crave. It’s confidence. Confidence that your team can deliver without you hovering. Respect comes from trust, not oversight. Here are three shifts that change everything with empathy: ✅Create clarity, not control Respect grows when expectations are clear. Define what success looks like, then give your team the space to own it. ✅Connect instead of check in Ask what support they need, not what’s done. Connection builds accountability and shows your trust in action. ✅Say it out loud “I trust your judgment.” Those four words build confidence faster than any status meeting ever could. When you lead with trust, clarity, and connection, you stop managing tasks and start inspiring people. That’s when teams move from compliant to committed and from good to truly thriving. These are the shifts taught through the H.U.M.A.N.™ Framework, helping new managers lead with empathy and impact in real human ways. How do you build trust without micromanaging? Love to have you share 💪🏼 #NewManager #LeadershipDevelopment #EmpathyAtWork #HumanLeadership #Teambuilding

Did you know that teams often make decisions based only on information everyone shares, while overlooking what individual members know? This quietly sabotages performance without anyone noticing. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆. A recent meta-analysis of 171 studies (Leblanc, Harvey & Rousseau, 2024) confirms it: teams that regularly reflect on their work outperform those that don’t—by 35% on average. Team reflexivity is when teams pause to ask: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳? They examine goals, strategies, and processes. Then they adapt. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘀: 🔇 Not sharing important information 🙈 Ignoring diverse perspectives 💾 Sticking to outdated approaches Team reflexivity is particularly important for: 🐘 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 – reflexivity helps navigate complexity and ensures all voices are heard 🦉 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 – they can leverage their knowledge to drive real improvements 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆? ➡️ 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆. When people feel safe to speak up, challenge assumptions, and admit mistakes, reflexivity thrives. ➡️ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀. Use moments like OKR reviews, sprint retros, employee surveys, or the start of a new year to pause and reflect. When does your team make time to reflect on how you work together? Let me know in the comments. #TeamPerformance #Leadership #OrganisationalDevelopment #TeamLearning #PsychologicalSafety

⁨📷⁩ ⁨7 Reverse Moves That Doubled My Team’s Efficiency and Brought Back the Energy A few years ago I was managing a project team that was completely burned out We were missing deadlines fighting over priorities and drowning in meetings I thought I had a strategy problem but in reality I had a management problem Then I flipped the script I started doing the opposite of what I thought a “good manager” should do And suddenly the team came alive Here’s what worked — my seven reverse plays that changed everything 👇 1️⃣ Stop micromanaging Instead of hovering I made roles crystal clear set the vision and trusted people to deliver Turns out ownership creates accountability faster than control ever will 2️⃣ Stop panic firefighting We started ranking tasks by urgency and importance not emotion No more chaos just calm execution 3️⃣ Stop ignoring contributions Every week I called out small wins in front of everyone It cost nothing and built massive motivation 4️⃣ Stop brushing off feedback I actually listened and acted on what people said It made the strategy sharper and built real trust 5️⃣ Stop tolerating toxic behavior The hard conversations weren’t fun but they saved the culture 6️⃣ Stop glorifying burnout We built real boundaries 9pm Slack messages are no longer cool 7️⃣ Stop hoarding information We shared everything openly context goals blockers People made better decisions because they finally saw the whole board Funny thing — when the team got healthier the strategy got clearer Execution became smoother And the business grew faster than any quarterly OKR plan ever could Sometimes the best strategic move isn’t another framework It’s getting the basics of human leadership right #Leadership #StrategyExecution #TeamCulture #Productivity #PeopleFirst #Management #BusinessGrowth⁩

You’re not paid to be busy! 😳 If your calendar looks like a crime scene, you may be ineffective. Too many managers equate busyness with value. Back-to-back meetings, late nights, endless emails = “I must be doing well!” Nope. Busyness is the enemy of leadership. 👉🏾 If you’re always busy, you have no time to think. 👉🏾 If you have no time to think, you make poor decisions. 👉🏾 Poor decisions hurt your team and career. Here’s what can be done: ✅ Audit your calendar. If a meeting doesn’t need you, decline. If your team can handle an email, delegate it. ✅ Block thinking time. One hour a week to reflect on priorities, team development, and strategy will save you ten hours of firefighting. ✅ Define your impact. Ask: “If I achieve only three things this week, what should they be?” Then cut everything else that distracts. Cancel one unnecessary meeting this week. Use that hour to coach your team. Find this useful? Repost to help your network too ♻️ #Management #Leadership #Training #HR #HRmanager

If workplace change feels uncomfortable, that’s often a sign it matters. I’ve always been sensitive to feedback. When I first helped organisations implement change, I took criticism personally. Over time, and still today, I’m learning: not all feedback is about you. Sometimes it’s about the discomfort that comes with doing something bold. For example, I’ve run training sessions exploring difficult topics. They weren’t always easy for participants, or for me. Conversations got uncomfortable. People challenged ideas. And at first, it felt frustrating. But here’s the thing: that discomfort was a sign we were tackling what truly mattered. By leaning into the feedback, taking time to understand concerns, and keeping the bigger picture in mind, the outcomes were overwhelmingly positive - people began feeling more confident openly discussing difficult topics. Real cultural change rarely feels comfortable in the moment, but it’s worth it in the long run. When your work sparks discomfort or criticism, how do you stay grounded and keep perspective? #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #ProfessionalGrowth #ChangeManagement #OrganisationalDevelopment #Feedback #CultureShift

💡 Compatibility isn’t magic - it’s mindful work We can often assume that within our teams and partnerships, once dynamics settle, they either “work” or they don’t. However, all relationships both professional and personal, are living systems which evolve and change. These landscapes shift through conversation and challenge. Alignment isn’t something that just happens, we build this when we grow our awareness, take accountability and communicate effectively. If you take a moment to reflect honestly with yourself and your team, ask these questions: 🗣️ Can we actively listen, respond rather than react with defensiveness? 🤝 Can we express needs and boundaries clearly? 👀 Can we consider perspectives different from our own, and adapt from a place of empathy? ⚙️ Can we take ownership for our impact, not just our intentions? This is where therapeutic coaching makes a real difference, helping leaders and teams develop the skills to navigate tension, deepen trust, and sustain collaboration even under pressure. It’s about consciously creating an environment where people feel heard, respected, and empowered through mutual investment in one another’s growth. #TherapeuticCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #TeamDynamics #Communication #Accountability