Manager vs. Leader How to stop gossip before it divides the team

Manager vs. Leader How to stop gossip before it divides the team How to stop gossip before it divides the team. Like a leader, not a manager. Well, number one is we have to address that side conversation, and we wanna do this early. The manager says, alright, you all need to stop gossiping. That's it. But a leader says, look, if, if there's a concern, let's make sure we're talking to the right person, not just the person closest to you. Gossip usually starts because people don't know how to have this real tough conversation. Have you shared this with a person that can actually address it and fix it? If I have a leak in my roof, it doesn't go away because I ignore it. No, I address it right away before it spreads. And number two is we wanna create a culture of direct conversation, direct communication. Manager just says, alright, I, I don't wanna hear any more of this gossip. The leader sets the stage like, I, I want this to be a team where we talk to each other before we talk about each other. Healthy teams. We normalise difficult conversations. We don't avoid them. So we can ask, like, what conversations are we avoiding right now? And they don't have to share it in a team meeting, but they can come to you for guidance. Patrick Lynch, Tony has a great quote. He says, an absence of conflict isn't harmony. No, it's apathy. So there will be conflict, let's learn how to approach it. And Address it directly. Oh, and real quick, if you're looking for leadership tools, the tips, frameworks, questions, activities, these say this, not that cards or the new if this, then that cards, you can sign up here, get a discount, or click the link in my profile and start using them today. And reach out if you need a speaker for your next leadership event, or if I can help customise a half day or full day leadership workshop for your team. And then number three is we're gonna reinforce what the culture stands for. As a team, we build this together. But a manager just quickly says, hey, let's move on. But a leader says, no, let's, let's agree how we wanna handle these concerns, these conflicts moving forward. Culture isn't defined by what you allow once. It's defined by what you consistently reinforce. What kind of team do we wanna be known for? And we do this together. And we'll come up with some agreements, like how do we address difficult conversations, these type of concerns, so that everybody's operating from the same playbook. Let's calibrate, let's align, and let's bake this into the culture. This is who we are. As a manager, I try to stop gossip, but as a leader, no. We build a culture with our people where we solve problems with direct communication, tough conversations, not side conversations. And look, leadership is not a title, right? It's a fire. And we have the opportunity. To ignite it, not only in ourselves, but in others. Now, if you like these little tips and frameworks, check out my profile and follow me.