When Team Members Flatter the Leader, Problems May Ensue

Source: https://jonathanbecher.com/

People tend to flatter their leaders at times.  We've all done it on occasion.  At times, we have rolled our eyes when a peer begins to flatter the boss in a less-than-subtle manner.   The flattery might seem harmless, but it risks a problem for both leader and follower.  The leader may become overconfident if he or she lets the flattery go to their head.  Similarly, the follower may lose credibility with their peers if they are seen trying to ingratiate themselves with the boss.  It seems that a bit too much flattery directed at the boss is a surefire way to get yourself marginalized or mocked by your peers on the team.  

New research suggests another potential risk associated with flattery. Benjamin A. Rogers, Ovul Sezer, and Nadav Klein have published a new paper titled "Too naïve to lead: When leaders fall for flattery."  They find that some leaders can bear a cost if they respond ineffectively to flattery by their team members.  The scholars find that leaders who "fall for flattery" can be perceived as rather naive by team members and peers.  Those perceptions, of course, can have negative consequences as they try to persuade and influence subordinates and peers in the future.  If a leader is perceived as unfairly playing favorites based on past flattery, then they will lose the trust of their team members.