Success Tip: Impact begins where the applause ends
Sometimes resistance is the clearest sign that something new is emerging. Choreographer Pina Bausch experienced this early in her career, when part of her audience stormed out of the theater in anger. Decades later, she is regarded as one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century.
Wuppertal, mid-1970s. The audience is accustomed to classical ballet, to grace and clean lines. Then Pina Bausch takes over the company and presents something completely different: people running, stumbling, screaming, clinging to chairs. Some of the audience gets up and leaves the auditorium.
Bausch could have made things easier for herself. She could have shown what is expected of a ballet company. She remained true to her artistic convictions, even when they initially brought her rejection and open criticism. Years later, she was celebrated in New York as one of the most influential choreographers of her generation. Her dance theater continues to tour worldwide to this day.
The Downside of Leadership
In leadership practice, a similar pattern often emerges, only with the opposite outcome. Many shy away from precisely the moment that Bausch endured: provoking resistance or criticism. Uncomfortable decisions are postponed. Standards are watered down. Poor performance is not addressed directly, but rather couched in vague language or put off until the next meeting.
The result is well known: The manager is popular with the team, but little gets done. Employees sense this clearly—especially the top performers, who are waiting for clear direction but instead experience a lack of direction.
Clarity Before Approval
Three observations from real-world experience: Clear decisions initially create friction before they build trust. Standards that aren’t consistently enforced lose their impact across the entire team within a few weeks. And teams are guided by what leaders actually enforce, not by what they announce.
Three questions about usage:
- In what decision have you focused more on harmony than on the outcome in recent weeks?
- Which standards in your team have recently been quietly relaxed?
- If you didn't care about the team's approval, what decisions would you make differently this week?
Leadership comes with a certain price. You have to be able to tolerate dissatisfaction. Not every employee will like you all the time. That’s part of the job, and it’s often a sign that you’re actually making a difference.
To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch
