In today’s organisational world, management comes dressed in many forms and languages - at times technocratic, at times emotional, and often highly communicative. Amid this constant flow of terms and frameworks, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters: which practices genuinely support the functioning of a team, and which ones undermine it behind a facade of appearances.
What follows is not a manual on leadership. It is a catalogue of "shadows" - of behaviours, trends and illusions that, when they dominate, erode the authentic craft of management. By recognising them, we may perhaps stand a little more clearly in front of the art of leading and working with people.
1. Managing expectations instead of achieving outcomes
When a manager focuses on "managing" expectations, they learn to adjust the mirror rather than the work itself. The idea is fostered that if people expect less, every result looks like a success. Yet this breeds a culture of complacency and low ambition. True management is not the art of managing impressions - it is the art of achieving substance.
2. Cultivating a positive culture through embellishment
When everything must be "positive", honesty is lost. If difficulty and failure have no space in dialogue, a false reality is created. People learn to say what sounds pleasing - not what is true. Management that seeks to foster a genuine positive culture must be able to bear the truth, even when it hurts.
3. "Open door" that does not exist in practice
How often do you hear "my door is always open", only for anyone entering to feel they are disturbing the sacred time of the manager? An open door is not a slogan, it is a daily act of availability. Without an atmosphere of trust and safety, no door - open or glass - fosters genuine dialogue.
4. Empowering teams through delegation without support
Throwing responsibilities around like hot potatoes while saying "I'm empowering you" is an illusion. Without a clear role, guidance, and framework, delegation turns into abandonment. Empowerment means offering space but also tools, support as well as autonomy.
5. Hollow agile as a stage act
Agile is neither ritual nor excuse. When one sees only boards, retrospectives and stand-ups without genuine flexibility in decision-making, it is empty theatre. Worse still, when "agile mindset" is invoked to mask poor planning or sloppiness, the essence of agility is distorted. Agile without seriousness leads to chaos.
6. Team spirit while incentives remain individual
You cannot preach the value of teamwork while rewarding people for individual exposure and competition. When the incentive system favours "heroes" over collaborators, teamwork collapses - no matter how many fine words are spoken about "team spirit".
7. Coaching that is actually micromanagement
Many managers talk about coaching, yet in practice they guide every step, depriving others of the space for learning and initiative. True coaching rests on asking questions, not issuing instructions; on reflection, not direction.
8. Focus on performance that becomes focus on reporting
When a manager turns into a "numbers chaser", the essence of work is sacrificed at the altar of reporting. Reports have value only as tools for improvement, not as ends in themselves. If all energy goes into "looking good", then being good is lost.
9. Change management that remains just communication
Change does not happen through glossy emails and presentations. If practices, incentives and behaviours do not shift, all talk of a "new era" is empty noise. People judge by actions, not by messages.
10. Productive meetings measured by duration, not outcome
The short length of a meeting means nothing unless it delivers clarity and action. Short but empty meetings are a waste of time. A truly productive meeting is one from which people leave with clear understanding and next steps.
11. Listening culture that becomes pseudo-listening
A listening culture is not about collecting endless surveys or opening anonymous feedback channels that lead nowhere. If people see no change after their voices are heard, then "listening" becomes a pretence. An ear that listens without acting becomes absurd.
12. Ethics washing in the organisation
When a company publicly declares values of ethics and social responsibility but does not embed them in its everyday practices (e.g. in the treatment of employees, suppliers or the environment), it breeds cynicism. Ethics is not communication - it is action.
13. Flat hierarchy that conceals strong hierarchy
Modern organisations love to flaunt their "flat structure". Yet behind it, one often finds an even stronger informal hierarchy where decisions are made by a few around unofficial tables. A flat culture has meaning only when accompanied by transparency and a genuine sharing of power.
14. Continuous improvement that becomes constant change
Endless change without rhythm or stability wears people down. If teams do not have time to build solid foundations, they lose faith in the process. Continuous improvement is a virtue only when accompanied by periods of consolidation and absorption.
15. Inclusive leadership that ends in tokenism
Adding diverse voices to appear "inclusive", without creating a culture that truly listens to, integrates and respects these voices, is mere posturing. Inclusion is not a matter of numbers - it is a matter of voice.
16. Protecting the team that turns into isolation
When a manager "protects" their team so much that it becomes cut off from the rest of the organisation, collaboration and knowledge exchange suffer. Protection should not build a fortress. It should build bridges, not walls.
17. The "nice leader" who is always agreeable
A leader who seeks to be liked by everyone ends up avoiding difficult conversations. The result is a lack of clarity and vagueness in expectations. True leadership bears the weight of others' dissatisfaction when needed.
18. Employee engagement based on parties and gifts
True employee engagement does not stem from flashy events or branded giveaways. It comes from meaningful work, respect, and a sense of contribution. If these are absent, no happy hour will save the culture.
19. Workshops on resilience instead of improving working conditions
When, instead of improving working conditions, you organise workshops teaching people to endure a toxic environment, you shift the burden to the individual. Empowerment begins with the environment - not with how well each person can "cope".
20. 360 feedback as a control mechanism
Feedback is a tool for development - not a weapon of control. When 360 feedback becomes a means to build dossiers or entrench a culture of fear, its essence is lost. Fear is built, not learning.
21. Customer obsession that destroys internal culture
"Customer obsession" becomes destructive when it sacrifices the health and sustainability of the team. If everything is endlessly adjusted to please the customer, people burn out. Customer-centricity must not consume the organisation’s human culture.
22. Failing fast as an alibi for poorly designed projects
Failure as a learning tool is valuable. But "failing fast" must not become an excuse for carelessness. It does not justify poor planning or irresponsibility. Deliberate failure has value only when it is based on structured experimentation - not blind attempts.
23. Goal setting as an Excel tyranny
When planning becomes a fetish of metrics and spreadsheets, real work is lost. Excessive focus on KPIs that do not reflect reality suffocates innovation and agility. Numbers should serve substance - not replace it.
24. AI-driven management that erodes human judgement
Increasing reliance on AI systems and algorithmic decisions can strip managers of responsibility and human judgement. People need to feel they are being guided and assessed by leaders with empathy - not by opaque algorithms.
25. Leadership presence that turns into narcissism
Leadership presence is not about constantly attracting attention. When a leader craves personal spotlight on every stage, they undermine the team. True presence amplifies others - it does not overshadow them.
26. Collaboration tools that cause distraction
When collaboration tools (Slack, Teams, etc.) become a constant source of interruptions and stress, they undermine their own purpose. Collaboration requires rhythm and focus - not noise and fragmentation.
27. Leading by example that remains words
"Leading by example" is not a slogan. If a manager does not embody the values they proclaim daily, the words become empty. People watch actions - and are inspired or discouraged accordingly.
28. Risk management that leads to paralysis
Proper risk management enables action with awareness. But if it results in fear, endless analysis and inaction, the essence is lost. The world never stops - and excessive safety is an illusion.
29. Ownership culture that shifts responsibility downwards
When leaders ask people to "think like owners" but in reality only push down responsibilities without offering real authority or support, they create a culture of anxiety and insecurity. Ownership without a framework of protection is a tool of manipulation.
30. Culture of candour that becomes harsh criticism
Candour and feedback are the foundation of a healthy culture - but when a "culture of candour" turns into a constant stream of critique where everything is endlessly commented on, people grow weary, withdraw or become fearful. A true culture of dialogue requires empathy and rhythm.
31. Process optimisation that becomes a process fetish
When process optimisation becomes an end in itself, living work is sacrificed to an endless pursuit of flowcharts and diagrams. Process should serve value and people - not replace thought and judgement.
32. Authenticity theatre in leadership
"Performing" authentic leadership - with staged personal stories or contrived displays of vulnerability - often becomes a strategic tool for personal branding. Authenticity is not performance - it is a way of being that withstands time and scrutiny.
33. Talent density that undermines the human side
When you pursue only "A players" and remove stable, steady contributors from the team, you destroy its balance. Teams need diverse roles - not just stars. Talent thrives in an environment of coexistence.
34. High performance culture that leads to burnout culture
A "high performance" culture without limits, rhythm or care quickly becomes a mechanism of exhaustion. Sustainability and resilience must be part of performance - otherwise the structure will collapse.
35. Visionary leadership disconnected from reality
A visionary leader who ignores the terrain of daily work builds castles in the air. If the vision is not grounded in the team’s needs and capabilities, it becomes an unattainable myth that breeds cynicism.
36. Managing through fear instead of building trust
Many managers use fear (directly or indirectly) as a lever of control: fear of losing promotion, of exposure, of disapproval. This erodes trust and psychological safety. Leadership based on fear casts shadows, not light.
37. Empowerment through endless workshops
You do not empower people through endless training sessions if in practice you do not change the conditions that allow them to assume real responsibility. Empowerment is a daily act - not a pretty slide deck.
38. Talent management that ends in categorising people
When you begin to view people as "A", "B", or "C" players and invest only in the first group, you undermine unity and the moral fabric of the team. Development must involve everyone - otherwise you cultivate inequality and resentment.
39. Strategy alignment as alignment of slides
Strategy is not aligned in PowerPoint presentations. If decisions, initiatives and daily priorities do not reflect the strategic narrative, it is all communication theatre without substance.
40. Building accountability through constant checks
Accountability is not built through micromanagement and endless reporting. It is built when people have space to make commitments and own outcomes within a framework of trust.
41. Conflict resolution through cheap mediation techniques
Deep conflicts are not resolved through workshops or "quick" mediation techniques. Unless you address the roots - culture, incentives, power imbalances - the conflict will return. True resolution requires courage, depth and systemic thinking.
42. Servant leadership that becomes servility
To serve does not mean to abdicate your role. Servant leadership is not the absence of guidance or an inability to set boundaries. It is leadership that supports, empowers and guides - not one that self-negates.
43. Digital transformation that stops at buying tools
Buying new tools without changing processes, behaviours and culture does not achieve any genuine "digital transformation". Transformation is a deep redefinition of how work is done - not a migration of apps.
44. Innovation as endless brainstorming without implementation
You promote a "culture of innovation", run countless ideation workshops, but no idea is ever implemented. Innovation without execution is merely intellectual entertainment - and it exhausts the team.
45. Flexibility that becomes lack of priorities
If every week goals and directions shift in the name of flexibility, the team dissolves into uncertainty. Flexibility requires a stable core and clear prioritisation. Without these, you create chaos.
46. Recognition of success as a tool for manipulation
Recognition must be authentic and equitable. If it is used as a lever of manipulation or to reward only compliant allies, you undermine your credibility and destroy trust.
47. Company values as wall decor
Values that exist only on posters and corporate brochures are not values. If they do not shape decisions on hiring, promotion and daily practices, they are a false front that breeds cynicism.
48. Transparency that becomes information overload
Transparency is not a flood of useless information. If you overwhelm people with raw data without providing context or purpose, you create confusion - not clarity.
49. Diversity washing
When superficial diversity is promoted for PR purposes but the deeper structures of power, opportunity and inclusion do not change, reverse alienation is created. People do not want to "appear diverse" - they want to genuinely belong.
50. Work-life balance culture that becomes expectation of always-on
Talking about "flexibility" and "balance", while people feel obliged to be constantly available, defeats the purpose. The always-on culture often hides behind work-life balance rhetoric - but it corrodes genuine wellbeing and respect for personal time.
