Leadership That Works. Quiet Quitting. Wisdom Age and Respect in the Workplace

Dr. Jennifer Bishop describes her leadership as a blend of transformational and servant leadership, aiming to inspire, empower, and support individuals to be their best selves. This contrasts sharply with the authoritative, micromanaging style she finds undesirable, which often involves aggression, belittling, and a lack of care for the supporting cast.

Dr. Bishop states, 'My leadership style... is a blend of transformational leadership and servant leadership. So, I am that type of leader that's going to inspire you, empower you... How can I help you be your best self?' She contrasts this with the 'authoritative leadership style' that 'grinds my gears,' characterized by 'aggression,' 'belittling,' and not caring about the 'supporting cast.'

Building trust is paramount in any leadership role, extending beyond professional settings to personal relationships. Trust is earned through character, honesty, humility, and high emotional intelligence. A leader's emotional capacity to hold space for others, listen without judgment, and avoid dismissive behaviors is critical for creating a safe environment where people feel secure to share their gifts and talents.

Dr. Tyranny emphasizes, 'The number one way to to start to build trust is to earn that trust... check your character, you know, are you honest? Do you function with humility? ...What is your capacity and your emotional intelligence level?' She adds that a lack of emotional intelligence will cause a leader to 'bomb' because they 'have to be able to hold space for people.'

Quiet quitting is a profound internal disengagement where an individual remains physically present but mentally and emotionally checked out. It manifests as doing the bare minimum, avoiding extra effort, and actively seeking other opportunities while on the clock. This often stems from feeling unseen, unheard, or unsafe in an environment, and leaders must pay close attention to subtle signs of disengagement rather than dismissing silence.

Dr. Tyranny defines quiet quitting: 'You still at the job, you still clocking in... but you fa scroll Facebook for the first hour. You not gonna go above and beyond... you're spending all of your time after lunch from 3 to 5:00 scanning LinkedIn looking for new jobs.' She adds, 'If you're not paying attention to your people, then you won't see them quietly quit.'

The conventional negative perception of confrontation limits personal and organizational growth. Instead, confrontation should be reframed as a healthy and necessary process for change and development. Just as physical exercise confronts muscles to build strength, confronting issues directly and constructively allows for transformation and becoming 'the best you.'

Dr. Tyranny advises, 'We need to reframe our perspective of confrontation... Confrontation can be healthy. Growth honestly only happens in confrontation.' She uses the analogy of going to the gym: 'Every time you go into the gym, you are confronting that them extra pounds... Confrontation is actually how we grow.'

The assumption that wisdom is solely a product of age is a misconception that leads to overlooking valuable insights from younger generations. Wisdom is defined by discernment, character, and the 'fruit' of one's life decisions, not by the number of years lived. This age-based bias can discredit younger individuals who possess significant wisdom and prevent mutual learning between generations.

Dr. Tyranny asserts, 'Wisdom is not age. It is not a number.' She criticizes the 'older generation' for getting this wrong, leading them to 'discredit the wisdom that might be in a 20-year-old.' She illustrates this with her niece's observation of her life as an example of wisdom.