3 Components of Chaotic Leadership
Capable leaders guide teams through chaos. Incompetent leaders create it.
In times of change and crisis, strong leaders provide stability by cultivating the three elements of trust: credibility, authenticity, and empathy. With these three traits, others know they can count on you, regardless of the circumstances.
With a rock-solid leader, bring on the bedlam! Okay, maybe that’s over the top. But a healthy leader provides a grounded, unchanging home base in the midst of turmoil. When a leader is missing one, or even two, of the elements of trust, well… that sucks. Yet, the team can often muddle through. When a leader lacks all three, you quickly descend into pandemonium and a toxic work environment. Not only do credibility, authenticity, and empathy build trust, they reduce the drama inherent in miscommunication, micromanagement, passive-aggressive behavior, and chronic strain, i.e., chaos.
Below, are three components of chaotic leadership, their unpleasant results, and their antidotes. In the next article, I’ll address how to cope when you find yourself under a chaotic leader.
1) Uncertainty
The hallmarks of a chaotic administration are confusion and doubt. Incoherent or ambiguous communication, seemingly irrational decisions, and a lack of forethought can waste time and resources, cause frustration, and erode trust. Eventually, with a lack of certainty or constantly changing goals, people stop working because they don’t believe their contribution matters. It might all be irrelevant tomorrow when the plan changes again or previously withheld information comes to light! So why bother?
The antidote: credibility. Your team needs to believe you are competent. That doesn’t mean you have all the answers or never make mistakes. But you make data-driven plans and decisions, and you provide frequent, clear, comprehensive explanations and updates. Often, a lack of credibility comes down to a lack of communication. When you share your data, your reasoning, and your plans, you build trust and reduce uncertainty.
2) Deceit
Most chaotic leaders do not intend to be dishonest. They simply lack the character it takes to be transparent and reliable. They ignore difficult people and issues, blame others when things go wrong, disregard commitments, and allow double standards. This creates a dog-eat-dog culture of hypocrisy and back-stabbing and—no surprise here!—low trust. Everyone looks out only for their own interests, which kills teamwork, breeds politicking and gossip, and rewards treachery. What a depressing work environment!
The antidote: authenticity. Your team needs to believe you are who and what you say you are. Live and lead according to your values. Be transparent—share information and yourself as candidly as possible. It takes a lot of maturity and a strong sense of self-worth to come out from behind the shield of pretense and be the real you. It feels pretty vulnerable. But don’t worry, if you are credible, vulnerability promotes trust. And it’s 100% authentic, which is the complete opposite of deceit.
3) Insensitivity
Chaotic supervisors look out for themselves. That’s not leadership. True leaders go first and pave the way for those who follow. They make it easier, better. They work for and take care of others. Without that mindset—whether due to carelessness or egotism—a leader will lack vision, avoid constructive feedback and dissenting opinions, and treat others merely as “resources” instead of human beings. People under insensitive leaders feel disconnected and devalued. Creativity, growth, and collaboration are squelched. It makes for a cruddy place to work.
The antidote: empathy. Your team needs to believe you care about them as human beings. For sure, you should be able to expect work at work; it’s not group therapy. But to be an effective leader, you have to get yourself and your ego out of the way. Connect with others on a personal level. Seek to understand them. Look out for them. Demonstrate compassion and you will eradicate insensitivity.
In short, the fix for chaotic leadership is building trust. Credibility, authenticity, and empathy build trust precisely because they reduce anxiety and confusion during difficult times. When you provide your team with certainty, transparency, and sensitivity during change and crises, you reduce chaos and foster collaboration, well-being, and smooth transitions.