Sparking Leadership #5: Are we celebrating the wrong leaders?

Who do you think gets promoted faster?

👤 Person 1: Charismatic, confident, quick on their feet. The life of the party, thrives in chaos, decisive and dynamic.

👤 Person 2: Thoughtful, quiet, analytical. Leads with humility, listens more than they speak, plans carefully.

Most people pick Person 1 - and that’s the problem.

Martin Gutmann calls this bias the “action fallacy.” The belief that leaders must be bold, loud, and dramatic to be great. But as Gutmann (and plenty of research) shows, the leaders we often overlook such as the planners, the stabilizers, the calm voices in the storm, are actually the ones truly moving things forward.

🎭 Is drama damaging your leadership?

Leaders that swoop in and save the day are more likely to get the spotlight than those who diligently work on preventing the crisis altogether.

After all, we all love a good hero story. But, there is a darker side to this type of leadership. Not only is it not always effective (and definitely not wise) but, it could be addictive and destructive.

Let me explain: Crisis triggers a fight-or-flight response, flooding the brain with adrenaline. That rush sharpens our senses and boosts confidence and, let's face it, it feels good. So good, in fact, that some leaders become unconsciously addicted to it. They might even start creating crises to feel relevant or powerful. (See work by Dr. Andrew Huberman.)

But adrenaline isn’t strategy. Over time, this pattern can erode decision-making and foster toxicity. Crisis leadership is unsustainable both for the individual and the organization.

👉 How to lead (without chasing drama):

✔️ Build processes, not dependency

Great leaders don’t make themselves the hero - they make the system stronger. They solve root problems, prevent fires before they start, and create clear roles so others can shine.

✔️ Reward calm over chaos

Recognize the teammate who quietly defuses tension, the manager who steers a stable ship, the planner who saves hours by organizing up front.

✔️ Plan for long-term resilience

Use boring tools. Spreadsheets, timelines, pre-mortems, communication protocols. As Harvard professor Raffaella Sadun calls it: “boring management” gets results.

✔️ Focus on culture, not crisis

Keith Grint puts it best: “We reward people who are good in crises and ignore those so good, there are no crises.”

👟Slow and steady wins the race

Because leadership is a marathon, not a sprint. Quiet leadership builds trust, credibility, and influence, even without the spotlight. Over time, people gravitate to consistency. Teams flourish with predictability. And organizations grow stronger when they aren’t always reacting.

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🌟Sparking Leadership is a weekly series on modern #leadership - practical, human, and clear-eyed. If you're enjoying this journey, feel free to follow or share with others. In the meantime, lead with spark!