Does a leader’s behaviour really influence the productivity and creativity of their team? In short: absolutely.
Extensive research shows that employees’ perceptions of their team leaders have a powerful impact not only on how engaged they feel, but on the results they deliver. How a leader shows up day-to-day — in even the smallest interactions — matters more than many realise.
One particularly insightful study by Harvard Business School tracked 238 employees from seven successful companies over an 18-week period. Each participant recorded one memorable event from their workday, resulting in nearly 12,000 diary entries. When researchers analysed the data, one thing stood out: the most frequent events recorded were employees’ interactions with their team leaders.
These interactions were categorised as either positive or negative — and the patterns were revealing.
The Four Positive Behaviours of Great Leaders
Employees perceived their team leaders positively when they consistently demonstrated four key behaviours:
1. Monitoring work effectively—staying across progress without micro-managing.
2. Showing social and emotional support—offering empathy, encouragement, and genuine care.
3. Recognising good work — both privately and publicly celebrating achievements.
4. Consulting employees about their work—seeking input and valuing their expertise.
The Three Negative Behaviours to Avoid
Conversely, negative perceptions of leaders were linked to:
- Monitoring work ineffectively—either neglecting it altogether or micro-managing.
- Failing to clarify roles and objectives—leaving teams uncertain about expectations.
- Dealing with problems ineffectively—avoiding issues or mishandling them when they arose.
Interestingly, the study found that negative behaviours were reported more frequently than positive ones. Why? Because negative leadership tends to provoke stronger emotional reactions — such as anger and frustration — whereas positive leadership creates a more general sense of happiness or satisfaction.
Why It Matters
The conclusion was clear: teams who perceived their leaders as demonstrating positive behaviours generated more creative ideas and achieved greater performance success than those who perceived their leaders negatively.
In other words, the everyday actions of leaders don’t just affect how people feel — they directly affect how people perform.
Recent research from Gallup (2023) supports this, revealing that teams with highly engaged leaders are 27% more likely to report excellent performance and 21% more likely to be highly productive compared to teams with less engaged leadership.
A Leadership Reflection
Take a moment to reflect:
• How would you rate yourself against the four positive behaviours?
• Now, imagine asking your team to rate you — would their perception match yours?
• Where might the gaps be? What small changes could bridge them?
• And how might closing those gaps lift not just morale, but measurable team results?
At AttitudeWorks, we help leaders sharpen their awareness, develop constructive habits, and build the everyday behaviours that teams thrive on. Because leadership isn’t just about setting direction — it’s about how you walk the path with others.