Treat everyone the same is terrible leadership advice
Many leaders strive for “fairness.” The intent is good. They want to avoid bias, give people the opportunity to succeed, and support all their team members. However, too often in that pursuit, they are given the advice to “treat everyone the same”—no favorites. On the surface, this sounds nice. It sounds fair. But this is one of the worst pieces of advice a leader could take. Not everyone needs…
Leadership guidance urging "treat everyone the same" is misguided. While the intention is to promote fairness, this cliché can actually hinder team performance. Just because it sounds equitable and just, does not mean identical treatment is optimal for each person. The reality is, the most effective leadership depends on situational context.
My insights come from years of studying leadership, coaching teams and organizations to develop strong leadership skills. Across these experiences, one thing becomes clear: the most successful leadership is customized to the specific circumstances at hand. Below are four typical leadership scenarios and the best approaches for each.
1. The Reticent Starter - Some team members are hesitant to take on new development opportunities. When faced with unfamiliar challenges, they may freeze, question the task, or avoid it entirely. The best response from a leader is to provide clear, step-by-step instructions. This scaffolding helps the team member build foundational skills and confidence, gradually enabling them to take ownership of the task.
2. The Eager Newbie - Other times, people receive a new challenge and get overly confident, overestimating their competence and diving in headfirst. This often leads to subpar results and can backfire by causing performance decline. Skilled leaders observe this behavior early and step in with targeted guidance. They reinforce enthusiasm while gradually providing the broader framework, allowing the person to develop their competence.
3. The Insecure Achiever - Conversely, some individuals demonstrate expertise in a skill but still struggle with self-doubt. They may seek constant reassurance and direction from their leader, reluctant to take responsibility. The leader's role is to remind them of their existing capabilities. Through open dialogue and joint problem-solving, the leader reinforces the performer's self-efficacy without overstepping.
4. The Autonomous Expert - Conversely, after consistent coaching, some performers reach a level of mastery in their role. At this point, they are high performers who need far less direction. However, this can be a challenging situation for leaders. They may feel antipathy to giving less guidance, fearing they are abandoning a high achiever.
Yet, truly autonomous experts need just the opposite - a leader who backs off and trusts their abilities. Failure to do so can feel like micromanagement and erode trust. The key lesson is that leadership is not a fixed style, but an adaptable approach. Each situation demands a different leadership style to meet the person where they are developmentally.
This flexibility is crucial, even within a single conversation with the same individual who may be excelling at some tasks while struggling with others. The temptation to apply "treat everyone the same" can be strong, as it provides a convenient default for leaders who prefer consistent methods. However, this approach ultimately fails to address the unique needs of each person.
While fairness remains an important value, effective leadership is more about adaptability than consistency. To be a truly effective leader, one must continuously adapt their leadership style to meet the moment and the specific needs of each team member.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
