How do you know it’s true?

Facadism was a term coined by Megan Reitz and John Higgins, researchers in leadership and organisational change. It describes the outward appearance and dialogue not matching reality.For example, VW who were claiming world leading emission standards, only to be discovered ‘gaming’ emissions computers, or some Australian Banks during the Royal Commission who claimed to be acting for the financial well being of customers, but were ripping them off in overt and hidden ways.

Facadism is a massive issue when it comes to Psychological Safety. Leaders saying that they welcome new ideas and quality feedback often wonder why no one takes them up on it. It’s often a mismatch between what is said and what is actually done about it. 

It takes more than words as leaders. The actions have to line up. These researchers found that leaders overestimate how well they are hearing their employees (and probably customers). It's one of the reasons that leaders who regularly ‘walk the floor’ are effective. They are visibly bridging the gap, meeting people in their domain and creating spaces for conversations. You know the language of a business is true when the actions match the words.

What can you do today to connect the words your company uses with your personal actions as a leader? How can you be more visible and approachable? When was the last time you set out to ask and listen rather than tell?

If you’d like more on this topic, Higgins and Reitz were interviewed by Brene Brown here.