Yahoo Finance Is Roxy Jacenko’s ‘tyrant-like’ leadership style actually effective?
Australia’s PR queen and founder of Sweaty Betty PR, Roxy Jacenko, has made headlines for her fierce work ethic in her new series I Am Roxy.
In the teaser for the Channel 10 TV series, Jacenko said she ‘let go’ of three staff members at the end of last year and takes a firm approach to her employees during a meeting.
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Earlier this month Jacenko told Yahoo Lifestyle that she wasn’t ‘tyrant-like’ or ‘mean’, but preferred to be seen as ‘realistic’.
“People don’t realise how hard it is and when everything tumbles, I’m the only person who is accountable to it, and that isn’t a person who works for me – they pick up and leave and then move to the next,” she said.
“So yeah, you have to be tough, but I think I’m also reasonable. I try and guide.”
But are harsh leadership styles actually effective?
Indeed’s head of career insights, Jay Munro, told Yahoo Finance that while being a tough boss can produce results, you can run the risk of losing good talent.
“Not everyone will respond to [leadership] styles in the same way,” Munro said.
“And that's why we talk so much about the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, and really understanding what works for different people.”
And a harsh or direct style can often affect employees’ mental health too.
“If that type of behaviour, or the way that we interact with people, is too direct or too harsh, it can affect more than just productivity. It can actually affect the mental health and well being of our employees,” Munro said.
“It doesn't always come down to business results, it comes down to that duty of care of our employees as well.”
Getting management style wrong can also affect team engagement, he added.
“We all know poor engagement results in low productivity, low quality of work, increase in staff turnover and absenteeism, and that, of course, all adds up to reduce commercial profits for a business as well.”
I don’t like the way my boss communicates with me. What can I do?
If you don’t like the way your boss communicates with you, the best thing to do is just to say so.
“I think it just comes down to saying ‘it's not okay’,” Munro said.
“When we have that confrontation, it's important to not be overly defensive, but to say how that behaviour makes employee feel.”
“Say things like, ‘I respect that you need this unique piece of work done, however, the way that you're speaking to me makes me feel…’ whatever it might be.”
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