We speak a lot about leadership in the modern age–about being transparent, open, socially conscious, and environmentally aware. We talk a lot about modern leadership–about being open, transparent, purpose-driven, socially aware, and environmentally conscious. In far too many organizations, old-school behaviours still persist. The heroes leaders Information hoarders They are the ones who run their teams and manage them. This begs the questions: why do we still allow this to happen if we are aware of what is going on?
What is Modern Leadership?
Leadership in the 21st century is not about charisma or authority. Clarity, accountability, integrity, and inclusion are key. It is about aligning with purpose, building trust and communicating transparently. It’s about being able hold tension between performance and empathy, commercial results and social responsibility.
Influence is not something that can be imposed on people anymore. It has to be earned. Employees want people who care about the work, their team and the world.
Outdated styles persist
We still tolerate or reward outdated leadership models despite all of the research, public discussion, and training.
The ones who keep information from others as a form of power.
The ones who are partisan, blame others, and conceal behind their titles.
The ones who come as “saviors” and leave chaos behind them.
The ones who ask for loyalty, but do not return it.
These leaders can sometimes deliver results in a short time frame. They may have been in the industry for so long that they are “part of furniture” or they might simply be able to navigate the system more effectively than lead people.
Red Flags: We don’t talk about them enough
We ignore or excuse unhealthy leadership cultures far too often. High turnover, passive aggressive communication, fear-based compliant, team silos and performance inconsistencies. Burnout without recognition.
These leaders can be toxic, but not always. They undermine trust in subtler ways, such as by omitting important information, avoiding accountability or playing politics.
Why people stay (Even when their leader is the problem)
People often remain in a bad leadership situation. It can be because they are loyal to their team or love the job. They’re sometimes afraid of the future. Sometimes they’ve normalised dysfunction–especially if it’s masked by perks, flexibility, or a strong external brand.
Then there are the high-performers, those quiet achievers that keep everything together and deliver despite their surroundings. They stay until they leave. By the time they leave, the damage has already been done. They seldom make a noise. They leave and take their culture, capability, and credibility with them.
The Leadership Audit that Every Organisation Needs
Businesses today should ask tough questions.
Are we rewarding the correct behaviours?
Are our leaders building or eroding trust?
Are we developing leaders that lift others up, or those who shine on others at their expense?
When we see red-flags, do you intervene or protect the status quo?
Leadership is no longer just about the results. It’s how these results are achieved, experienced, and sustained.
The Cost of Looking Away
Poor leadership in today’s workplace is not only unpleasant, it’s also a liability. It destroys the culture, undermines retention and sabotages employee engagement. It goes against everything we claim to value.
What is the real challenge? These leaders excel at leading up. These leaders know how to present in meetings and speak the correct language. They also deliver just enough information to remain under the radar. Trust is slowly eroding. Talents are disengaging. Performance is suffering.
Boards and CEOs cannot rely on upward reporting alone. They need to look at the trends, review engagement data, commission cultural reviews, invest into 360-degree feedback and walk the floor regularly. Skip-level meetings where executives talk directly to the teams who report to them can be a very useful tool.
Leadership is not just about outcomes or optics. Integrity, influence and the culture that has been left behind are important. We need leaders who are capable of leading modern workplaces, and the courage to take action when we don’t find them.
