Prevent Troublesome Practices

One of the fundamental challenges of solid and fair leadership is to separate the behavior from the employee — especially when a problematic behavior or broken rule occurs. But great leaders also understand this truism: Problematic behaviors are rarely motivated by malice. More often than not, they occur when staff have trouble handling the intense pressure of the job. Regardless of the reason, however, the key is to nip problematic behavior in the bud as early as possible. Challenging a bad practice that has become normalized over time is far more difficult than having an uncomfortable conversation about that behavior early on. When doing so, spell out that you are correcting the behavior — addressing components such as why the practice is problematic and how it impacts the entire team — and not criticizing the person behind it.

A great leader corrects problematic behaviors before they become normalized practices.