When leaders only hear what they want: The hidden productivity cost

Dr Philimon Chitagu (PhD)

In many organizations, productivity problems are blamed on skills gaps, lack of motivation, or insufficient resources. Yet one of the most damaging, and least discussed causes of low performance is a culture where people tell leaders only what they want to hear.

This behavior, often described as yes-man culture or organizational echo chambers, quietly undermines decision-making, innovation, and execution. While it may create short-term harmony, its long-term impact on productivity can be severe.

Why People Tell Leaders What They Want to Hear

Employees rarely do this out of laziness or dishonesty. More often, it is a rational response to incentives and power dynamics:

Fear of negative consequences:

Speaking up may lead to being labeled “difficult,” overlooked for promotions, or excluded from key projects.

Leader behavior:

When leaders dismiss, punish, or ignore dissent, employees learn to self-censor.

Performance pressure: In environments obsessed with short-term results, bad news is seen as failure rather than useful information.

Hierarchical distance: The greater the gap between leadership and frontline employees, the less safe people feel sharing inconvenient truths.

Over time, silence becomes the norm, and agreement becomes a survival strategy.

The Productivity Trap

At first glance, a team that agrees with leadership may appear aligned and efficient. In reality, this alignment is often superficial, and productivity suffers in several ways.

Poor Decision-Making

When leaders receive filtered or overly positive information, they make decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate data. Problems are discovered late, when they are more expensive and disruptive to fix.

Repeated Mistakes

If employees are discouraged from challenging assumptions, the same flawed strategies are repeated. Lessons are not learned, and productivity declines as teams work hard on the wrong things.

Reduced Innovation

Innovation requires disagreement, experimentation, and risk-taking. In cultures where leaders expect affirmation, employees stop proposing new ideas, and productivity stagnates around outdated processes.

Disengagement and Burnout
Employees who feel unheard eventually disengage. They may still meet minimum requirements, but discretionary effort, the energy that drives real productivity disappears.

False Sense of Efficiency

Meetings become shorter and conflicts fewer, but this “efficiency” is misleading. Real work slows as unresolved issues surface later in projects, often as crises.

The Leader’s Role in the Problem

Leaders are rarely aware that people are filtering information for them. However, subtle signals, interrupting criticism, rewarding agreement, or reacting defensively—teach teams what is safe to say.

Even well-intentioned leaders can unintentionally create silence if they:
• Ask for feedback but argue with it
• Thank people for honesty but fail to act
• Publicly favor those who align with their views

Productivity suffers not because leaders lack intelligence, but because they lack access to the full truth.

Creating a Culture of Productive Candor

Organizations that maintain high productivity actively work against this dynamic.

Normalize disagreement:

Treat dissent as a contribution, not a threat.

Reward truth-telling:

Recognize employees who raise risks or challenge assumptions early.

Separate ideas from identity:

Make it clear that questioning decisions is not questioning competence or loyalty.

Model vulnerability:

Leaders who admit mistakes signal that honesty is safe.

Close the loop:

Show how feedback influences decisions, even when it is not adopted.

Conclusion

Telling leaders what they want to hear may preserve comfort, but it quietly erodes productivity. Real performance improvement depends on accurate information, diverse perspectives, and the courage to speak up.

Organizations that value truth over ego may experience more tension in the short term, but they gain clarity, resilience, and sustainable productivity in the long run.

Dr Philimon Chitagu is an Executive and Team Coach (MGSCC-USA), Global Leadership Competency Assessor (MGSCC-USA), Chartered HR Practitioner (IPMZ), Past IPMZ President, EMCOZ Labour Committee Member, Africa Leadership Legacy Legend (LBL), Coach of the Decade (ICMF-Zimbabwe), OD Specialist, Author of HR and Leadership Books, Keynote Speaker, Leadership Coach and Mentor.