Leading Without the Savior Complex

🚨 New Podcast Episode: Leading Without the Savior Complex 🚨

Stepping into a leadership role? Do you think you need to fix everything to prove your value? Think again.

One of the new leaders' biggest mistakes is falling into the savior mentality—the belief that their team or organization was struggling before they arrived and needed them to "rescue" it. While the intentions may be good, this approach often leads to disengagement, frustration, and resistance from employees who feel unheard and undervalued.

In our latest episode of ScaleUP & Grow, we break down:
✔️ The hidden dangers of the savior complex and how it can damage trust and morale
✔️ Why this mindset costs organizations millions in lost productivity and turnover
✔️ The five essential strategies for leading effectively—without alienating your team
✔️ How to gain respect and drive real impact by leading with confidence, humility, and collaboration

This is a must-listen episode for anyone stepping into a new leadership role, leading through change, or looking to elevate their leadership approach for long-term success.

Don't just lead—lead the right way.

🎧 Tune in now and take the first step toward impactful, effective leadership.

Ready to level up? Visit our website to explore programs to help you achieve meaningful growth and success. Discover your path to impactful change today!

👉 Turning Point Training & Development

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:23

Welcome to today's episode of Skelet Grow. Listen, if you're stepping into a new leadership role, whether you're leading a new team, a department, or an entire organization, this episode is for you. This episode is for you. And I have to be quite honest, I was coaching a team yesterday, and this hot topic came up. And I was like, you know what? This is not the first time that I've heard this. And I know that, you know, we've had a podcast in the past about how to transition well, but this is a little bit different. This is a little different. And so let me let me just dig right into this because there is a common challenge that many new leaders face when they take over the urge to immediately fix everything, right? And maybe you've seen this where that new leader arrives, they're full of confidence, and within the first few weeks, they start making drastic changes. They're rolling out new policies, they're restructuring the team and trying to put their stamp on the organization. The attention, I hope, is often good. They want to make a difference, they want to prove their value and elevate the team. But, however, Ama, without taking time to listen and learn, they risk alienating the very people they're supposed to lead. This mindset is what we call the savior complex. Okay. It's the savior complex in leadership. It is the belief that as a new leader, it's your job to rescue the team or organization from failure and that only your fresh perspective can turn things around, right? But here's the problem. The people who were there before you were not just sitting around waiting to be saved by you. Today we're going to break this down step by step. Okay. I want to chat with you about why the savior mentality happens and why it's so common for new leaders. We're going to chat a little bit about how it negatively impacts not just the team, but the workplace culture and even the bottom line of the organization. And most importantly, practical strategies for leading with confidence, humility, and effectiveness without stepping on toes. So whether you're a brand new leader or have been leading teams for years, but want to refine your approach, stick with me. Stick with me for a few. There's a lot that we're going to unpack. And by the end of this episode, you will have a clear, actionable plan for leading in a way that builds trust, engagement, and long-term success. So let's start with the question. Have you ever worked for a leader who came in and immediately started making changes without taking the time to understand the team? Yes, you have. Yes, you have. Don't name names. But here's the question: the second question I have for you behind this is how did that make you feel? Did it energize you or did it frustrate you? Okay. For most people, it's the latter, right? Leaders with a savior mentality often think they're doing what is best. But in reality, they're making people feel undervalued and unheard and honestly disrespected. That's how the people are feeling. You know how I know because I talked to them. The savior complex in leadership happens when a new leader comes in with assumptions. And here's just a few of them. They come in assuming the team or organization was failing before they arrived. And to be very honest, sometimes we give that perception during the interview process, especially at the executive level. It's like, oh, we need you to come rescue us. So some of that is on our HR executive, you know, interviewing team. Be careful with that. Be careful with that. The other assumption is that their way is the only way to turn things around. Another one I want to share with you is they assume they need to quickly make their mark to prove their competence. Okay. This mentality is particularly common in leaders who were hired to turn things around after a period of struggle. If you step into a department that has seen high turnover or poor performance, it's natural to feel like you have to come in and fix everything and you have to do it as quickly as possible. But here's the mistake assuming that the people already there are not capable or that everything needs to change immediately, it's a dangerous mindset. It really is. It's a dangerous mindset that overlooks the institutional knowledge, the hard work, and the small wins that have kept the organization running up to this point, up to your arrival date. Okay, and what's even more interesting is that research shows how poorly this approach works. A Gallup study found that only 21% of employees strongly agree that their leaders communicate well about change. That means 79% of teams are left in the dark. They're left in the dark, they're feeling frustrated and disconnected when a new leader comes in and shakes things up too fast. They shake it up too fast. Now let's dig into why this is such a problem and what the real consequences of this mentality look like. I want to talk about the real impact of it. Okay. The impact of the savior complex in leadership. And here's the thing: it's widespread. It is, it's widespread, affecting not just the leader, but the entire team organization. So let's break it down. And I want to break it down into three key areas. Let's talk first about the leader themselves. Leaders who step into a role with the savior mentality put an enormous amount of pressure on themselves.

unknown 7:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

They feel like they need to prove their value immediately, which leads to them to make impulse decisions. They will often experience, you ready for this? They'll experience burnout because they're taking on too much too fast. Okay. They're going to experience frustration when team members resist their changes. And they're going to experience a lack of trust because they fail to build relationships before making decisions. Instead of being seen as a visionary, they're seen as disconnected. They are trying so hard to fix things that they do not realize they are the ones breaking the trust and morale of the team. Now let's talk about the impact on team morale and the workplace culture. Think about the employees in this situation. They have been working hard, navigating challenges, and in some cases making the best of difficult circumstances. Then a new leader arrives and without listening decides that everything they were doing was wrong. How do they feel? I'm going to tell you how they feel. And for some of you, this was you. They feel disrespected because their expertise and experience are being ignored. They are feeling unmotivated because they feel powerless in decision making. And they feel resentful. Ooh, you all have heard me talk about quiet quitting and recenteism. This is this is it. A 2021 SHERM study found that you ready for this? 46% of employees who quit their jobs cite a lack of respect from leadership as a key reason. When leaders enter with the savior mentality, they create an environment where employees feel like they're no longer valued. Okay. And disengaged employees are two and a half times more likely to lead. Now let's look at the impact on the organization's bottom line. Okay, beyond morale, this leadership approach has financial consequences. When employees disengage, what do you think happens? Think about it. Think about it. Productivity drops. Productivity drops. A Gallup report estimated that disengaged employees, you ready for this? It costs US businesses. Wait for it. It is costing you. It's costing you. And companies with strong leadership and engaged employees are 23% more profitable than those with weak leadership. So while the savior mentality might seem like an effective way to bring, you know, those fast results, it actually costs the organization more in the long run. And I'm going to be honest, some of you see it in that executive leadership seat, and some of you are reporting to that savior mentality, executive leader. It's hurting you. It is hurting your bottom line. And here's what some of you are going to think, because I hear you already. But Mary, we we met our quota. Did you really? Hmm. What could it have been if you had excellence in your leadership? What could have been? You know, if I said the goal was to make, you know, 50 widgets, and I have teams that are like, you are getting the bare minimum. 50 is what you want, 50 is what you get. Maybe it really could have been 65, maybe it could have been 80. But you're going to get the bare minimum. That's your risk. That's your risk. So now that we understand the risks, let's talk about solutions. Let's talk about some solutions. This is what I call the listen first and lead second. I know it sounds very common, but we don't do it often. Take at least, at least 90 days to observe before making major changes. Okay. Hold listening sessions with the team members. Think about that. 90 days. And here's the thing for executives and CEOs that are taking over, and you know you have to report to the board, you tell them, I'm going to take the first 90 days and hold listening sessions with the team members. I'm going to ask them questions like this. What is working well in the team in the organization? What is working well?

unknown 12:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:01

What challenges are you facing? And what would you change if you could? You know why this is important? Because they're the ones that are in the work. They are in the grind of this every single day. And for you existing leaders, why don't you pause and ask your team the same questions? Team, what is working well for us? What challenges are you facing? And what would you change if you could? Okay, that's the first one. Here's the second one I want you to think about. Build on existing strengths. You have no clue what the strengths are until you start communicating with the team that you've taken over. And for you that are already struggling with the savior complex and that savior mentality as a leader, it's okay to pause and apologize and say, listen, I need to pause for a moment. I need to back up. Let me let me could I hold some listening sessions? And here's the thing: if that's not your jam, if that's not your area of expertise, bring someone in that can do that. Bring someone in that can facilitate those conversations. Okay, it doesn't have to be you. And sometimes it's better if it's not you. Okay. Bring someone in, but you want to be able to build on the existing strengths. Find what is working and amplify it. Okay. Recognize the past successes instead of dismissing the past, honor it and build from it. But you won't know it if you don't have conversations. Okay. The third one I want to share with you is look at ways to co-create solutions with the team. Okay. Instead of dictating changes, involve the employees. Okay. Use focus groups and pilot programs to test new ideas before implementing them company-wide. You all know what this is called? It's real easy. It's the best way to get their buy-in. Co-creating solutions with your team is the best way to gain their buy-in. It will also help you gain their trust. And if you've already messed this up, if you ever you've already stepped into the lane of being that savior mentality leader, pause, stop, bring them in, bring them in and say, you know what, I'd like to take a different approach. If it's the beginning of a quarter, if it's the beginning of the year, whatever it is, come up with your reason, but you need to pause and stop that. Number four that I have for you is communicate the why behind the change. People resist change when they do not understand it. Okay. Use clear, transparent communication to explain the following. Why is this change necessary? Why is this change necessary? Because guess what? If you can't explain to your team why the change is necessary, then I would ask you as a leader, why are you doing it? Is this so that you can flex so that you can, you know, pump up your own ego and check some boxes for the board that you need to report to about all of the changes that you've made? Why are you doing it? Why? And then the other question you need to be able to answer is how does it benefit the team? If you want to change the process, a procedure, a software, a network change, why are we making the change? And how does it benefit the team? Okay. The last one I want to give you is lead with humility. Lead with humility and self-awareness. I need you to drop the ego. Drop the ego. Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room, it's about empowering others to succeed. Okay. Leadership is about impact and not ego. The best leaders are the ones who listen first, build trust and empower their teams. So I want you to take a moment to reflect. Are you leading with a savior mentality? Is this you? Are you leading with a savior mentality? Are you making changes without listening to your team? How can you shift your approach to build trust and engagement? If you found value in today's episode, I want you to share it with another leader who might need to hear this. And if you want to deepen your relationship and your leadership skills with your team and your organization, visit our website to learn more about our coaching programs. Thank you for tuning in. Go out there and lead with confidence, humility, and wisdom. Until next time, I'm Mary Ricketts.