The ripple effect of leadership is a powerful force that can transform organisations and lives, extending far beyond the confines of the workplace. Since my previous post about leadership reflections, I’ve given further thought to this phenomenon. I’ve realised that it is not only effective leadership that creates a ripple effect; ineffective leadership also propagates to influence a larger share of an organisation. This ripple effect is powerful enough to permeate organisational boundaries, impacting personal lives long after the workday ends.
The Unseen Reach of Leadership
Organisational leadership has sociocultural influences that extend well beyond business hours. The impacts of leadership do not cease to exist because an employee is done with work for the day; job satisfaction does not follow a clock or schedule. When ineffective leadership operates in destructive ways, Schyns and Schilling (2013) found that organisations suffer severe consequences: employee absenteeism, turnover, and diminished performance. These effects carry weight outside the workplace and lead to decreased well-being and strained personal relationships (De Clercq et al., 2021). Positive leadership isn’t just beneficial—it’s a necessity.
Defining Moments: How Leaders Are Remembered
Leaders are sometimes remembered for standout moments—actions or words that become defining cultural legends. We’ve seen this in politics. In 2012, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie responded to Hurricane Sandy with prompt mobilisation of resources, bipartisan collaboration, and visible empathy for victims. In 2017, when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, President Donald Trump’s delayed response—including his now-infamous act of tossing paper towels to displaced citizens—was a stark contrast. These moments, whether inspiring or alienating, cement leadership legacies.
When Leadership Fails: A Personal Lesson in Psychological Safety
The ripple effect is closely linked to psychological safety, which Edmondson (1999) defined as employees’ belief that they can speak up without fear of punishment. I witnessed this firsthand in a team meeting attended by all levels of management. When an employee raised a concern, a middle manager pointed her finger in his face and aggressively berated him. No one intervened. The room fell silent, and contributions ceased. In the days that followed, word of the incident rippled outward: the chided employee received supportive messages from colleagues sharing their own stories of feeling mistreated. To this day, people reference that moment as a cultural breaking point, tempering their participation in meetings. It taught me that psychological safety is a fragile foundation. Once shattered, distrust lingers.
To foster psychological safety, leaders must create environments where employees feel safe to express themselves. This means encouraging open communication, actively listening to concerns, and addressing them promptly. It also means modeling professionalism and inclusion in daily interactions—whether in a boardroom or a Teams channel.
The true reach of leadership impact can be difficult to measure. Data captures only part of the story. There’s often a quiet undercurrent of shared experiences—phone calls outside work, text messages expressing discontent, after-hours conversations—that leaders never see. To better understand their impact, leaders can engage in regular feedback sessions, conduct anonymous surveys, and track cultural shifts over time.
Leadership’s Echoing Legacy
What do leaders need to do? Recognise that their actions reverberate far beyond town hall meetings and quarterly goals. Followers share their own perceptions of leadership—the good, the bad, and the damaging—and these perceptions shape attitudes toward the entire organisation (Schyns & Schilling, 2013). In my role, I can continue to model trust, value people’s ideas, and prioritise inclusion even in small, everyday interactions.
My feelings about the most important leadership attributes remain unchanged: trust, care, humor, and inclusion are paramount. What I now emphasise is this: whether positive or negative, leadership legacies take on a life of their own. Leaders may not realise how well their followers remember their actions and behaviours. The legacy isn’t just about grand gestures—it’s built in the everyday moments. In digital learning environments, where connection requires deliberate effort, this is even more critical.
The ripple effect of leadership can uplift or undermine an organisation. Leaders must ask themselves: What kind of ripples am I creating? How will my actions today be remembered?
References
De Clercq, D., Fatima, T., & Jahanzeb, S. (2021). Gossiping about an arrogant leader: Sparked by inconsistent leadership, mitigated by employee resilience. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 57(3), 269-289. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886320917520
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Schyns, B., & Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The leadership quarterly, 24(1), 138-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.09.001
Attributions
Lach, R. (2021). Newton s cradle in the darkness with light streak shining [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/newton-s-cradle-in-the-darkness-with-light-streak-shining-9785612/
Stephen, you couldn’t be more correct! My experience in past organizations haunts me to this day; some at my organization who I share this with call it “work PTSD.” Not only did I experience lasting negative memories, but it also impacted my confidence as a professional for many years to come. I often wonder if the person knew the impact they would have caused me, would they have course corrected?
Do you believe those who create a negative ripple throughout the organization and beyond are often aware that they are doing this? Perhaps it’s not malicious behaviour but simply ignorance. I wonder how people on the receiving end of such poor leadership can inform these leaders who have hierarchal power over them.
Great reflection, Stephen! I hope we can work together on our next and last courses.
Thanks, Allie. It’s unfortunate that you’ve had similar experiences.
Dr. Martha Stout’s The Sociopath Next Door (2005) found that about one in only twenty-five individuals are sociopathic, which essentially means that they simply do not have a conscience. She also discovered that sociopaths gravitate toward positions of power, because those roles provide opportunities for manipulation, control, and lack of accountability. Comforting, eh?
I suspect that some diminishing leaders are unaware of their negative impact, while some certainly are but are unbothered by it. I believe the latter are typically unable to be corrected or coached.
Check out the book. You’ll like it. Let’s watch for an opportunity to work together before we all scatter apart for our theses and projects.