There is an idea I have borrowed that resonates with me on how healthy teams are built, and how urgency is addressed. To be honest, I perceive it more as a teaching that I would like to see ingrained in the culture, and it is called ‘pressing the red button’.
Pressing the red button is usually a signal that team members send to upper management and leadership about pressing matters. I firmly believe, and have seen many times, a common mistake that prompted me to emphasise this: people often remain very quiet about crucial issues that need to be communicated. The root of this is usually deep-seated fear, which over time can turn into an “I don’t care anymore” attitude.
I had a dilemma on who to address this: the people who need to press the button, or the leadership that needs to listen. I decided I am going to be speaking to the leaders out there, because I think it is their task to create an atmosphere where pressing the red button is a normal thing.
Fear is not to be admired
I guarantee that the stress an owner or a C-suite is getting is different from what team members are experiencing. I am not speaking about the weight of it, but the reasons for it. Usually, the higher you go, the more worries it brings in the form of bills, KPIs, expectations, and, of course, it goes with the promise of a greater award. At the same time, there is a higher risk of crash and burn. That being said, leaders can very easily spill their stress and authority on the teams and people they lead. You can usually feel it and see it right away. Pressing red buttons is almost nonexistent when this happens, but the good thing is that this type of situation can be repaired if there is a will to do so.
What I have observed in practice is that many leaders are often unaware of their flawed leadership behaviours. They simply cannot see the impact they have. Their teams can describe that impact with great clarity, yet when you attempt to reflect that perception back to the leader, it can feel as though you are speaking an entirely different language.
Those with empathy and emotional intelligence, however, truly listen. They listen because they want to improve the situation, to grow themselves, and to strengthen their teams. Unfortunately, there are also many who show no interest at all. This is where I draw a clear distinction between genuine leaders and those who have no real place in leadership.
To those who are willing to listen, I explain that they often leave something unspoken in the room, something that makes people hesitate to “press the button”. The reasons may vary: insecurity, fear, self-doubt. Yet more often than not, these feelings are triggered, consciously or unconsciously, by the leader’s behaviour.
I have frequently seen leaders with exceptional intellectual ability and remarkable speed of execution. Their capacity is impressive. But their tempo is not everyone else’s tempo. A common outcome is that team members refrain from “pressing the button” because they feel less capable, slower, or inadequate by comparison.
What I find most troubling, however, is fear. I cannot accept leadership that imposes fear and, worse still, takes satisfaction in doing so. Leaders who rely on intimidation are not leaders in the truest sense. They may achieve compliance through force, but that is not leadership. Leadership is a different kind of skill entirely – one that demands self-awareness, humility, and continuous development.
An important question
Based on this, I have an important question for leaders: If you could choose how a team member should react when something important needs to be addressed, would you want them to fight, flight or stay quiet?
Now, picture the worst-case scenario in your organisation. A moment when speaking up truly matters. Something is wrong. A risk is unfolding. A decision carries serious consequences.
The question is the same: fight, flight, or stay quiet?
I assume you would choose the first option.
That is why you should ask yourself this every time you enter a meeting or any interaction where your energy shapes the room. Are you creating calm? Are you creating safety? When you express urgency, is it about the task rather than intimidation? Do people feel able to say that something is not right? Set your ego aside. When people feel safe speaking, results improve. Risks surface earlier.
That is what I wish for you and your team.
If you are unsure how to build this environment, I would be pleased to offer a complimentary session to explore it in a practical way.