Leaders who vanish during a crisis leave stress and burnout in their wake

The Invisible Manager

Leaders who aren't present during a time of organisational crisis increase workers’ stress levels and the likelihood of them burning out, according to new research from several UK business schools, including Durham University Business School.

The researchers show when leaders are absent it creates a more toxic workplace, turning workers against management, as well as increasing workers’ stress, levels of absence and even turnover.

These are the findings of research by Peter Hamilton, Professor in HR Management at Durham University Business School, alongside Professor Robert McMurray and Dr Martyn Griffin from the University of Sheffield, Nicki Credland, Reader in Nursing at the University of Hull, and Dr Oonagh Harness, Lecturer at Northumbria University.

The researchers sought to examine the importance of senior-leader presence and absence on the “frontline” in times of crisis, focusing on ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study.

The researchers conducted interviews with over 50 nurses from 38 different healthcare units in the UK and Ireland to better understand the workers’ experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, the support they received from managers and their emotions through this period.

The findings show many frontline nurses noted feeling deserted by senior leaders during the crisis. This, participants said, led to a lessened feeling of collective suffering, with leaders alienating themselves from the real challenges faced by workers. This increased the feeling of stress, burnout and even absenteeism for staff.

For frontline workers whose senior leaders were present and supportive during the crisis, the research reported a much more positive take on their ability to work through and cope with crisis. Senior leaders who showed willingness to work on the same tasks as workers also helped provide a greater sense of togetherness during the crises, which impacted positively on team and personal morale.

“The pandemic heightened workplace intensity for nurses, with major changes in both nurses’ workload and the risks they faced.” says Peter Hamilton. “During a crisis, team morale and maximum output are crucial so team togetherness is essential. Leaders who don’t get stuck in potentially create a workers vs management environment – leading to toxicity, increased stress for workers and likely a diminished workforce”.

The researchers acknowledge there can be good reasons as to why leaders aren't as freely available to deal with a crisis as other workers, such as poor resourcing, time pressures or role conflicts. However, the researchers suggest it's vital that when there is a crisis, leaders do the utmost they can to be seen and be present in the thick of the situation, so they don't look as though they are abandoning workers.

For senior leaders, the researchers say their presence is less about reducing the workload, but more a symbolic gesture to boost team morale. During a crisis, leaders should be seen getting their hands dirty, to reduce any sense of discriminatory hierarchy and the toxic implications of a them-and-us culture.

On a personal note when I was working in the laboratory of a major grey cast iron foundry the iron that the cupola furnace was producing was ridiculously out of specification, being closer in composition to steel rather than cast iron. The molten metal was sparking in an alarming way never seen before and the castings (brake disks and clutch housings for the motor industry were so hard that they were impossible to machine.

When I reported the issue to the Chief Metallurgist he suddenly jumped to his feet shouted: "My goodness! Is that the time? I'm late for my lunch!" And he literally, not figuratively, ran from the laboratory at high speed. Even though it was actually well before his lunchtime. 

When I told the foreman in charge of the furnaces he swore and said: "if he's not interested there's nothing we can do. I don't know what's wrong and I needed his expert advice."

The result of his vanishing during that particular crisis resulted in the entire day's production run being scrapped. A 100% scrap rate when the normal scrap rate was 5% or less.