Fear-Based Management Failures

This post was originally featured in the May 21, 2025 newsletter found here: INBOX INSIGHTS: Fear-Based Management Failures, Economic Indicators

Leading With Fear Is Not Leadership

I posted about this on LinkedIn this week, but it is worth repeating and expanding upon.

You can read the post here

Leaders, Do Better.

If your goal is to instill fear in your team to get something done, you’re not a leader. You’re not motivating. This article outlines everything that is wrong with someone abusing their “leadership” powers.

Let’s be crystal clear: telling employees to “leave pity city” or suggesting “work-life balance is your problem” isn’t leadership. It’s bullying. Full stop.

Leaders set the tone for the entire organization. Bad leadership isn’t a new problem. In fact, it’s probably as old as humans. However, what we’re seeing is more entitlement to behave poorly. There is this misconception that technology will magically replace human employees, therefore we can treat people as badly as we want. Tech will pick up the slack.

Leaders who have this mindset are poorly misguided and hugely mistaken. You NEED the human teams to build and maintain the technology, to evolve it, to use it. If you’ve alienated your people, you no longer have a team or the tech you wanted to replace them with.

This Isn’t Leadership. It’s Intimidation.

What we’re seeing in this article is a parade of executives who are confusing authority with leadership. Jamie Dimon’s profanity-laced rants. Starbucks telling remaining employees to “step it up” after cutting 1,000 jobs. Uber changing work policies and essentially saying “deal with it.”

These aren’t leadership moments. They’re power trips.

And I’m frankly shocked that board members and investors aren’t more concerned. Because this approach is business suicide dressed up as “tough management.”

When I was a product manager, I reported to a VP who led with fear. He would openly yell and scream at me and my team, all while being completely out of touch with the actual work. Many days, I left in tears, unsure of how I was going to show up the next day. But here’s the thing: I was also a leader. I was responsible for my team. It was my job to protect them, advocate for them, and guide them. It wasn’t a great time in my career, and it has left me somewhat traumatized. But I showed up for my team and helped them through the poor management we faced. In the end, this VP was let go, and we could all let out the breath we had been collectively holding for years.

The Real Cost of Fear-Based Management

When you lead through intimidation:

• You kill psychological safety, which directly impacts innovation
• You create an environment where people hide problems instead of solving them
• You encourage yes-people rather than critical thinkers
• You set yourself up for massive turnover the moment the job market improves
• You damage your employer brand for years to come

That’s not pragmatism. It’s short-sighted and destructive.

The Leadership Gap is Showing

What’s particularly troubling is that these aren’t new managers who don’t know better. These are seasoned executives who are choosing to throw tantrums rather than lead effectively through difficult times.

The “you should be grateful you have a job” approach is the leadership equivalent of “because I said so” parenting. It might get temporary compliance, but it destroys trust permanently.

What Real Leaders Do in Tough Times

Real leaders:

1. Are honest about challenges without being demeaning
2. Set clear expectations without resorting to threats
3. Listen to concerns even when they can’t address all of them
4. Create stability during uncertainty, not additional fear
5. Remember that today’s decisions affect tomorrow’s culture

A Wake-Up Call

If you’re a leader reading this and nodding along with these CEOs, consider this your wake-up call. The approach we’re seeing is not strength—it’s insecurity and poor emotional regulation masquerading as “tough leadership.”

If you work under this kind of leadership, do these things: document everything, build your network, and keep in mind that this market won’t last forever.

This isn’t about AI or technology. Those are the excuses being used so that “leaders” can justify their terrible management.

The companies that will thrive long-term aren’t the ones with the loudest, most intimidating CEOs. They’re the ones where leadership creates an environment where people want to bring their best every day—not because they’re afraid, but because they’re engaged, respected, and valued.

Even in tough times. Especially in tough times.

If you want to be infuriated like me, here is the link to the article.

Be honest. Are you leading with fear or empathy?

Reply to this email to tell me, or come join the conversation in our free Slack Group, Analytics for Marketers.

– Katie Robbert, CEO

Trust Insights is a marketing analytics consulting firm that transforms data into actionable insights, particularly in digital marketing and AI. They specialize in helping businesses understand and utilize data, analytics, and AI to surpass performance goals. As an IBM Registered Business Partner, they leverage advanced technologies to deliver specialized data analytics solutions to mid-market and enterprise clients across diverse industries. Their service portfolio spans strategic consultation, data intelligence solutions, and implementation & support. Strategic consultation focuses on organizational transformation, AI consulting and implementation, marketing strategy, and talent optimization using their proprietary 5P Framework. Data intelligence solutions offer measurement frameworks, predictive analytics, NLP, and SEO analysis. Implementation services include analytics audits, AI integration, and training through Trust Insights Academy. Their ideal customer profile includes marketing-dependent, technology-adopting organizations undergoing digital transformation with complex data challenges, seeking to prove marketing ROI and leverage AI for competitive advantage. Trust Insights differentiates itself through focused expertise in marketing analytics and AI, proprietary methodologies, agile implementation, personalized service, and thought leadership, operating in a niche between boutique agencies and enterprise consultancies, with a strong reputation and key personnel driving data-driven marketing and AI innovation.