Follow these 3 steps for leading with intention

Leaders who run hot and cold -- such as Apple's Steve Jobs, who was famous for berating low-performing teams but also supporting and empowering them -- can cause their teams to be emotionally stressed and ultimately less productive, write four professors who study management. Address this kind of "Jekyll-and-Hyde" behavior by training managers how to handle their stress constructively, creating a culture of accountability and addressing toxic behaviors before they get out of hand, they write.

Put it into practice: Even if your manager is stable, but they get the Jekyll-and-Hyde treatment from their superiors, team morale and productivity can suffer vicariously, the researchers write. "These negative reactions occur, in part, because employees begin to doubt that their immediate supervisors are able to effectively influence higher-level leaders," they note.

Leaders should focus on intentions to boost success through making conscious choices, cultivating a sense of purpose and ensuring development for team members, writes LaRae Quy, a former FBI agent and consultant. "Leadership success requires intentional choices to help develop a clear sense of purpose and team development," Quy writes.

Put it into practice: During the first years of her career as an FBI agent, Quy felt like she was drifting because she hadn't yet developed intentions for her career. "Our intentions are important because they give us a valuable sense of purpose and control," Quy writes.

If you have a direct report who is difficult to manage, approach them with an open mind, but at the same time, don't be afraid to implement a performance improvement plan for corrective action, says Kim Scott, co-founder of Radical Candor. "There comes a moment on too many teams when the jerks begin to win," says Scott, adding "that's the moment when the culture begins to lose."

Put it into practice: Scott recommends addressing the situation to allow the employee to voice concerns in an environment of trust. "I feel like you don't respect me and you don't respect the other managers at this company," Scott suggests saying to open a dialogue.

After beating a cancer diagnosis in 1990 that doctors expected to kill him within months, David Guttman, the president and COO of InvestiFi, went on to become a successful entrepreneur by embracing servant leadership and using the power of listening to employees to grow his businesses. "You'd be amazed if you listen carefully and synthesize what people tell you, how much you can glean from what needs to get done," Guttman says.

Stanford University researchers are helping singer and songwriter Paul Simon get back on the road after he had to retire from touring in 2018 due to hearing loss in his left ear. The researchers recommended that he use larger monitors and strategically arrange them around him on stage during performances. The trick worked, and Simon is now touring North America with his wife, musician Edie Brickell, and a 10-piece band.

I have worked for several Jekyll and Hyde bosses in my day. You always went to work wondering which one you would encounter that day. That uneasy feeling meant that I was always looking over my shoulder, second-guessing my work and dealing with high anxiety almost every day. It was miserable.

If you have managers like this -- or you are like this -- realize the damage that's being done to your bottom line. Your teams are constantly stressed, and those who can find other jobs are probably feverishly looking for a new place to work. I know I was, and many of my colleagues were as well. We all moved on to better environments, and if we found ourselves once again in a toxic culture, we moved on from there as well.

As the researchers note: "For leaders at all levels, the takeaway is simple: Consistency fosters success. Organizations that prioritize stable, ethical leadership create workplaces where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to do their best work."

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