Before we share this week’s Friday 411, we have some big news to share: Over the next three years, we’ll be publishing an 8-book series on (you guessed it) Unleashed Leadership!
Look for the first book in the coming months. We’ll keep you updated!
Welcome to Friday 411, issue #110. In 4 minutes, with 1 insight and 1 action, you’ll be a leader who unifies your team no matter what is going on in the world.
1 Insight
In divisive times, leaders who unify their teams around shared purpose, respect, and trust can drive stronger results and build healthier cultures.
Over the past several years, we have noticed an increase in uncomfortable group setting situations.
Does this scenario resonate with you?
You’re at a work or community event, or with your neighbors, or at church, and someone makes a highly opinionated statement about the world right now. Usually about politics.
About 25% of the room nods their head in agreement, while another 25% becomes angry or withdrawn. The rest of the room squirms in their seats, uneasy.
In the worst moments, it’s the leader of the group making the assumptive statement. They rarely have bad intentions. It’s as if they presume that if you’re a part of this group, surely you believe exactly as they do.
This kind of misuse of power alienates people.
In today’s world, it takes no effort to divide a room. People are politically, religiously, economically, and generationally split. Social media algorithms feed what we want to hear, so we believe anyone who disagrees must be ignorant, idiotic, or evil.
When this kind of division seeps into a workplace, it erodes trust, tanks morale, and damages productivity. That’s why it’s more important than ever for leaders to unify people.
Here are 10 recommendations to help you become a unifying leader in divisive times:
1: Create a Vision Bigger Than the Division
Teams need something to unite around. That’s where vision comes in. Cast a compelling, shared vision that ignites everyone. Repeat it often. When people are working toward a meaningful goal together, they’re less likely to get sidetracked by petty differences.
2: Model Curiosity Over Judgment
Instead of jumping to quick conclusions, ask good questions. Follow another’s line of thinking until you gain an understanding of how they got there. You don’t have to agree with everything they say to accept and respect them as a person. Curiosity opens doors. Judgment builds walls. When leaders model genuine curiosity, they create psychological safety—an essential ingredient for team performance (Harvard Business Review).
3: Develop Listening Skills
Most people listen just enough to reload. As a leader, learn to listen with the intent to understand, not just to respond. Encourage your team to refine their listening skills as well. Listening is not a natural skill. It has a learning curve and takes practice. A team that listens well to one another builds trust and opens hearts.
4: Be the Thermostat, Not the Thermometer
A thermometer reflects the temperature of the room. A thermostat sets it. Unifying leaders set a calm and respectful tone, even when emotions run high. That steadiness builds emotional trust, especially during turbulent times. Even if your emotions are swirling on the inside, project peace to those you lead. Accept your feelings and choose to take ownership over them by controlling your reactions.
5: Shut Down Divisiveness on Your Team
Make it clear that some conversations—especially politics or polarizing topics—don’t belong in work settings. If they pop up, shut them down kindly but firmly: “That’s a divisive issue that doesn’t help us grow together or get the results we need.”
6: Establish Public Unity, Private Honesty
If someone on your team crosses a line with a divisive statement, don’t call them out in front of everyone. Instead, talk with them privately. This protects dignity while addressing the issue. Public unity maintains team cohesion. Private honesty preserves integrity.
7: Be Selective in Your News Sources
Don’t feed on outrage. Stick to news outlets that offer facts. Form your own opinions instead of being spoon-fed others’ opinions. Leaders who get sucked into media echo chambers often pass that tone to their team, whether or not they realize it. Try getting your news straight from the Associated Press or Reuters before it’s picked up and filtered through biased news outlets. Also, make sure you’re keeping a global perspective instead of limiting yourself to our American bubble.
8: Address the Dangers of Assuming
Remember that old saying, “You know what happens when you assume? It makes an ass out of you and me.” Many of your team members may be so embedded in echo chambers online or on their television screens that they believe everyone thinks like them. Help your team realize that assumptions divide. Create a culture where it’s okay—even expected—to think differently. That kind of openness makes teams smarter (McKinsey).
9: Stay Informed on Policy Without Getting Political
As a leader, you have a responsibility to understand how ever-changing laws and policies affect your industry. But keep those conversations practical, not political. Your goal isn’t to push agendas. It’s to keep your team up-to-date so that they can respond with informed decisions. Steer your team away from expending emotional energy over issues they don’t have the power to do anything about. Encourage them to use actionable energy by focusing on why they have ownership over.
10: Let Love Speak Louder Than Fear
A lot of the divisiveness we’re experiencing right now results from fear. People are tucking in and protecting themselves, sometimes with quills out. Opinions have become as solid as a shield and as sharp as a sword. You don’t have to agree with your coworkers to care about them. Be a source of comfort by leading with love, empathy, and kindness. See beyond ideology to the scared person with a lifetime of different experiences that shaped what they believe today. Only sincere love is powerful enough to break through barriers.
If you’ve been a reader of ours for more than a few weeks, you know we talk about Unleashed Leadership that focuses on the 7 traits that solve 95% of challenges: Character, Competence, Capacity, Clarity, Community, Culture, and Consistency.
Unifying leaders use four Unleashed Leadership traits: Character, Clarity, Community, and Culture. Be the leader who shows:
- Character to humble yourself and resist personal agendas.
- Clarity to focus your team on a bigger vision.
- Community to value every person and help them value each other.
- Culture to care more about what unites us than divides us.
1 Action
Choose one of the 10 recommendations above and begin practicing it with your team this week. Being a unifying leader won’t happen by accident—it takes intentional, courageous action to build a team that thrives in divided times.