She now examines how high-achieving individuals can internalize negative behavior and cause damage to their firms and teams if it is not addressed. How can companies address this problem in a way that is beneficial to the entire team?
In the past, you have talked about “toxic superstars” at law firms. We are interested in your thoughts on this phenomenon.
Toxic superstars are usually in senior positions. They are outstanding lawyers, top billers, and deeply committed to their clients and the firm. They have a track record of exceeding KPIs throughout their careers. They can also lead teams through fear and anger, which can cause a team to be under constant stress.
Although it may be effective in the short-term, employees will develop a fear-based stress response if they are exposed to strong negative emotions. Employees are less likely to engage positively in work if they fear the toxic superstar’s behavior. They can be negative in their association with the firm’s culture and work.
It is also difficult for senior leaders and HR to manage toxic behaviours because it is hard to tell someone who exceeds every goal that their attitude and behavior are not optimal. These issues are often addressed by senior leadership and HR.
How much damage can high-earners’ attitudes do to a company?
The workplace experience can be affected by toxic superstars. This is a key factor that I see as causing employee burnout and attrition. Attrition and attraction of top talent are key success indicators for firms. This is especially true now that companies need to adapt to new ways to work and make diversity, equity, and inclusion key metrics of success. These behaviors have led to high turnover rates and poor talent retention in departments. These behaviors can also cause reputational damage, which can be very serious.
What leadership training can you do to help this problem?
My workshops and coaching sessions help me understand how toxic behaviors can impact the workplace and reduce engagement. Then we will discuss how to get the best performance out of your team and reduce burnout. This is achieved by leading with performance stress, not chronic stress.
Although it may be effective in the short-term, leading with negative emotions can cause employees to become fear-based stressors.
We provide a blueprint to help leaders adjust their behavior and set up teams that can exceed KPIs. This blueprint teaches leaders how to manage their emotions, how to set boundaries for self-care and how to build trust and connection.
A great lawyer is not always a great leader. It can be difficult to bring a lawyer’s long-standing experience with stress and negative emotions into a leadership role. Emotional agility and leadership are not skills that are taught in law school. These two “soft skills” are essential for law, especially with the increasing use of digital tools and are the antidote against toxic behavior.
Could you please explain what emotional intelligence, agility and mastery are and how they can be used to create a high-performing team?
No more telling people that emotions stay at home. Emotions are always present and it’s impossible to claim that emotions aren’t suitable for work. Emotions aren’t always bad. They can be helpful or harmful. Anger, for example, can become toxic if it is not controlled or stored up. However, anger can be highly motivating if it is channeled correctly.
Recognizing your emotions is the first and most important step. To all of our leaders, we say: If you want to control it. To get the best out of ourselves and our teams, emotional mastery means being able to recognize, express, understand, and leverage your emotions (and those of your team).
Positive emotions can increase engagement, trust, and cooperation. This is a competitive advantage that the firm gains as it builds loyalty and trust among its clients and employees.
No more telling your emotions to stay home.
What training topics and methods do you find the most effective for high-earning “superstars”?
Focus group workshops with select leaders are the best way to achieve the highest results. I also recommend one-to-one coaching. Because I am able to talk with the leaders privately and listen to their concerns, this is how I have achieved my best results. I am able to listen and understand their world map so that I can communicate with them in their language and point out how certain behaviors are detrimental to their goals and success.
The first step in this journey is to build trust and create a place where leaders can get the support they need (even if they don’t want it at first). Many of the leaders I work alongside admit that it can be lonely up there. When they are responsible for so many decisions, it can be transformative and cathartic to have an opportunity to be heard.
One client, initially reluctant to receive coaching, said that after three months, he had realized that I was a leader whisperer to him. Someone who is independent from their workplace and can challenge, guide and help them overcome obstacles faster and lead their team more effectively.
It is important to emphasize that emotional skills can have a domino effect on client relationships. Many of the leaders I’ve worked with noticed a stronger bond with their clients. This creates a “triple win” situation for both the leader and the team.
I have the opportunity to work closely with leaders and to demonstrate appropriate behaviours. Then, I can set specific goals that they can achieve. This is the most important part of training. It is crucial to keep them up to date and to have regular check-ins so they can continue to grow and receive support. It is hard to change behaviours or attitudes. One-on-one coaching is the best way to achieve lasting change.
What does this training culture say about other industries? Are the legal and other sectors lagging behind? Is the legal sector behind? If so, what is the problem and how can it been addressed?
Although the legal sector has taken a longer time to adopt innovative and more effective training methods than other industries, this trend is rapidly changing, especially after the pandemic. Law firms are making significant steps in the right direction to adapt and create policies that enable them to deliver effective training that transforms behaviour. We are moving away from performance initiatives, which are just tick-box activities, and are looking for ways to truly drive change and transform ‘toxic stars’ into’super-leaders’.
A shift is also occurring in lawyers’ attitudes towards coaching. Coaching is no longer viewed by lawyers as something they get because they have a problem. It is something that lawyers seek to improve their performance. Lawyers see coaching as a competitive advantage and a key to their long-term success in law.
Charlene Giesele Bourlioutis an NLP Master Coach, a well-being and performance coach and a burnout prevention advisor. She is often called the “Solicitor”. Charlene, a former London lawyer, coaches clients in personal and professional life optimization through a combination high-performance coaching and burnout prevention.