‘We need to destroy Victorian ideas’ at work, Convention told

Too many business leaders operate according to “four myths of workplace leadership”, Abta’s Travel Convention in Greece heard this week.

Business consultant and author Blaire Palmer told the Convention: “We need to destroy the Victorian ideas that underpin a lot of what we so as leaders and create workplaces where, instead of suffocating people, people can thrive.”

She suggested myth one is that “you’re a leader because of your job title”, arguing: “Authority to manage might come with a title but not authority to lead. To lead, people need to trust you.”

Palmer said: “It’s a myth that most people are trying to get away with something – which is the reason so many organisations don’t like working from home.

“What if you assume people are not trying to get away with anything? What if you trust them?”

She identified a second myth “around seniority and hierarchy”, saying: “In the industrial age, people were treated like machines. But we’re not in the industrial age anymore.

“With hierarchical thinking, you believe you’re in a better position to make decisions because you have all the information. We operate in organisations where information is pushed up. We need to push information down – to share information to help people make good decisions.

Palmer advised attendees to “create an environment in which people can speak their mind [and] listen so you might change your mind”.

She highlighted a third myth as “the myth of teams”, arguing: “Teams create silos, create walls around information and stifle creativity. Teams fight for resources and attention when they should be looking out.”

The fourth, she identified as “the myth that as a leader you have the right answers”, saying: “There are no right answers. You need to swallow your ego and go back to the ancient Chinese wisdom that ‘To lead people, walk beside them’.”

Palmer noted: “We’re seeing much more differentiation among company cultures. Some cultures are horrendous. But as an employer you can think what culture you want. Do you want a lot of young people to come through but who won’t stay long or are you looking for people who hybrid work suits?”

She said: “Organisations only work when their purpose is clear and the metrics are clear.”