When employees provide feedback to their managers, they often expect changes in leadership behavior. However, a new study from the University of South Florida suggests that leaders who make changes too quickly may be perceived as less authentic by their teams.
The research, published in the Academy of Management Journal, was led by Danbee Chon, assistant professor of management at USF’s Muma College of Business. Chon and her co-authors conducted three studies to examine how leaders respond to employee concerns. The first study surveyed 205 doctoral students from research universities, while the other two studies involved more than 2,000 employees evaluating leadership action plans created by real executives in response to 360-degree feedback.
“For leaders, sometimes it’s not enough to just change. We have to consider how it might also be perceived, and people believe that true change takes time,” said Chon.
Contrary to conventional wisdom that encourages swift action after receiving feedback, the study found that rapid behavioral changes can lead employees to question a leader’s sincerity. According to the findings:
– Leaders who quickly alter their behaviors are seen as less authentic by employees.
– Managers making gradual changes are viewed as more sincere.
– The perception of inauthenticity is stronger when the requested change is particularly challenging.
– Authentic change encourages continued employee engagement and feedback.
Chon explained that these results specifically apply to voluntary feedback about a leader’s behavior. She noted that responses to feedback on routine business operations might produce different perceptions since such changes do not typically affect “the leader’s core sense of self.”
Chon added that there is no universal recommendation for how fast leaders should implement behavioral changes. Instead, she advised leaders to weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks before deciding on an approach.
“When change is easy, leaders who change rapidly may be viewed as less authentic, but more responsive — enabling employees to feel seen and heard,” she said. “Authenticity is one — important, but nevertheless, one — facet of leader evaluations.”
