Nearly 30 years ago, I had my first real encounter with what not to do as a leader. I was working in a General Motors factory where the culture was one of daily disrespect. Leaders–if you could call them that–were quick to belittle, yell, scream, and even spit at employees on the floor. The lesson I learned wasn't the one they thought they were teaching.
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This behavior wasn't “tough love” or “just how things are done in manufacturing.” It was toxic. And it didn't lead to improved results. It didn't drive engagement. It didn't foster continuous improvement. It certainly didn't build trust. At best, that type of leadership creates short-term compliance. At worst, it drives costly mistakes, disengagement, and deep cultural scars.
It was management by intimidation–and it failed. Repeatedly.
Fast forward to today, and the evidence is no longer just anecdotal. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant recently wrote in The New York Times:
“The evidence is clear: Leadership by intimidation and insult is a bad strategy. Belittling people doesn't boost their productivity; it diminishes it. Disrespect doesn't just demotivate. It also disrupts focus, causing costly mistakes [including in operating rooms].”
From the Assembly Line to the OR: Culture Matters
As Grant mentions, the cost of disrespect isn't just emotional–it's operational. I've seen this firsthand in hospitals as well. Culture matters just as much in healthcare as it does in a factory.
I've written before about how so many Lean transformations stall–not because people don't understand the tools, but because they don't feel safe using them. In talks and workshops, I've shared the story of a hospital where dozens of Kaizen boards were installed but never used. Why? The employees didn't feel heard. They didn't feel Psychologically Safe. They didn't believe improvement was possible or welcome.
Two reasons people don't speak up? Fear and futility.
That's the culture that's created when leaders belittle instead of coach. When they dominate instead of collaborate. And when they mistake silence for alignment.
What Respect Looks Like in Practice
Lean isn't just about removing waste and improving flow. One of its core pillars is Respect for People. That's not just a vague value–it's a daily leadership practice. Respect means:
- Listening more than speaking
- Coaching rather than commanding
- Creating space for others to contribute and improve
- Responding to mistakes with curiosity, not blame
It means shifting from fear to safety. From shame to learning.
In The Mistakes That Make Us, I wrote about the importance of embracing mistakes as a path to learning. But that only happens in organizations where people feel safe to admit those mistakes–and leaders model the same vulnerability.
We Can Do Better–And Many Already Are
I've seen the transformation that's possible when leaders choose humility over hubris, and support over scorn. I've interviewed leaders like Randy Carr of World Emblem, who shifted his entire management approach to embrace Lean and continuous improvement–not through yelling or demanding results, but by listening and engaging his team.
That's the kind of leadership that gets results and builds people up along the way.
So, whether you're in healthcare, manufacturing, tech, or anywhere else–don't buy into the myth that fear is a performance enhancer. It's not. It's a performance limiter… as this “ashes of problem employees” from the office of a hospital “leader”:
Let's choose respect. Let's build cultures where people feel safe to learn, to speak up, and to improve. That's how we get better–together.
Have you worked in or witnessed a toxic leadership culture? What helped change it–or what made it worse? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments below.
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Check out my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation:
