The Compass
Reflections, strategies, and real leadership insights to help you navigate change, challenge, and growth.
The Unseen Emotional Labour of Leadership (And Why It’s Burning People Out)
When we talk about leadership, we often default to the visible: strategy, board meetings, revenue goals, stakeholder reports. The outcomes. The optics. The KPIs.
But there’s a layer underneath all of that; invisible, unspoken, and heavy. The emotional labour of leadership.
Rewarding Toxic Behaviour: The Silent Killer of Workplace Culture
It’s one of the most destructive dynamics in workplaces across the globe: toxic behaviour being rewarded and even celebrated. Whether it’s a high-performing sales director in North America who steamrolls their team but hits targets, a manager in Europe who leads with ego but still gets promoted, or an executive in Asia who drains the culture but brings in revenue; the pattern is disturbingly similar.
But every time we excuse it, we endorse it. Every time we reward it, we replicate it. And every time we stay silent, we make it harder for the good people to stay.