Guest post by Angela Devi (Damini Pooja) Narain
Mauritian Leadership Coach & Consultant | Human-Centred Leadership Specialist

In this guest post, Angela shares a powerful story of leadership gone wrong and how it was turned around with care, not control.

The Breaking Point:

“Tearing others down never actually builds you up. True worth comes from creation, not destruction.”
-The Stoic Mind Mastery, Facebook

He sat across from me.

A CEO who once demanded doubled profits in a single year, now sitting with eyes hollow and hands trembling. His company was collapsing: burnt-out teams, rising turnover, toxic rumours.

And his own health was breaking down.

“I followed every leadership playbook,” he whispered, “Why is everything falling apart?”

The answer was clear:
He had led through control, not care.
He had silenced voices, not elevated them.

👉 The Hidden Cost of Fear-Based Leadership (A True Client Story: Anonymized)

Inside his organisation, a culture of quiet toxicity had taken root:

◾️ Spy Culture: Employees reporting on colleagues to win favour.
◾️ Ignored Ideas: “Open to feedback”. Only if it matched his opinion.
◾️ Politics Over Performance: Loyalty rewarded above merit.
◾️ Sudden Firings: Decisions based on whispers, not facts.

👉 The consequences were devastating:

◾️ 40% employee turnover
◾️ Rising absenteeism
◾️ Chronic internal silos
◾️ A leader drowning in stress-related health crises

👉 Leadership driven by fear is always fragile.
It breaks long before it succeeds.

👉 The Turnaround: How Human-Centred Leadership Rebuilt Trust, Health, and Performance

Through our coaching partnership, his recovery began with three radical shifts:

A. From Controlling to Coaching

◾️ Introduced mindful morning routines to replace reactive crisis management.
◾️ Opened meetings with: “What’s one thing you’re proud of this week?”

B. From Suspicion to Safety

◾️ Replaced spying with anonymous “Growth Feedback” channels.
◾️ Co-designed flexible work policies (e.g. Focus Fridays) together with employees.

C. From Fear to Fuel

◾️ Introduced peer-recognition and merit-based reward systems.
◾️ Trained leaders to shift from Criticism to Curiosity.

👉 The Result. In Just 6 Months:

◾️ Voluntary turnover dropped by 60%.
◾️ Profitability exceeded previous targets.
◾️ The CEO slept peacefully. For the first time in years.

👉 Leadership is Legacy: What Will Yours Be?

◾️ Human-centred leadership is not soft. It’s strategic.
◾️ Teams with psychological safety show 27% higher profitability (Gallup, 2024)
◾️ Employees don’t leave jobs. They leave environments where they feel unseen.

👉 The choice every leader faces:

◾️ Old Model: “My way. Or you’re replaceable.”
◾️ Human-Centred Model: “Your voice matters. We rise together.”

👉At its core, leadership is mindset. The right one doesn’t just manage. It shapes outcomes, drives transformation, and leaves a powerful footprint others can follow.

Are you ready to shift yours?

Visual & Quote Attribution:
The visual accompanying this article was thoughtfully created using AI tools under my personal creative guidance. The leadership quote is original and authored by Angela Devi (Damini Pooja) Narain. Kindly request me permission for reuse or redistribution of the visual or quote beyond personal sharing.

Written by Angela Devi (Damini Pooja) Narain, a Consultant, Trainer & Coach in Marketing, Business Communication, Business Writing & Translation with 20+ years of creating success stories. If you would like to speak to Angela Devi (Damini Pooja) Narain, she is available for a 1 on 1 consultation on Sprect.