Stop Over-Reacting and Get Proactive
Matt Schmiedl, CENTERS Enterprise Marketing Manager and frequent guest columnist for Campus Rec – This Week reminds readers of the risks of reactive leadership and shares insights in leading for optimal outcomes and growth.
When it comes to leadership, do you regularly find yourself (or your team) stressed, short-sighted, lacking focus and vision, unable to innovate, or generally dissatisfied at work? Is most of your time spent responding to circumstances rather than planning ahead? Are your days dictated by looming deadlines instead of thoughtful efforts? Do innovation and creativity seem like far-off endeavors?
If any of this sounds familiar you may be a reactive leader.
The way leaders plan and approach their work sets the tone for their teams and directly impacts staff culture and organizational success. Reactive leadership may be useful to address immediate or unexpected needs, but it’s not an effective long-term approach that yields optimal outcomes and growth. Let’s explore why.
The Risks of Reacting, Not Leading
Reactive leaders often find themselves caught in a cycle of managing crises and responding to issues as they arise, creating a high-pressure environment where urgent, short-term decisions overshadow thoughtful, long-term strategies. Over time, this mode of operation feels like treading water rather than making meaningful progress, leading to increased stress and burnout.
Instead of planning and anticipating challenges, leaders who wait to react to situations often find themselves mired in unpredictability, anxiety and dysfunctional team dynamics. This strain diminishes the team’s ability to focus on strategic growth and operational efficiency. The result is reduced productivity, frustration and lower job satisfaction. In fact, such environments can experience up to 25% higher turnover rates as employees become overwhelmed by the chaotic nature of their work. Moreover, the lack of stability, vision and foresight can erode team morale and trust in leadership, leaving employees feeling unsupported, apathetic and disengaged.
Innovation and productivity also suffer due to the constant demand to solve immediate problems, leaving little time for creative thinking and collaboration. Research confirms teams operating in this manner are 30% less efficient. Additionally, a Harvard Business Review survey highlighted 72% of senior leaders cited missed opportunities as a direct result of insufficient proactive planning, underscoring the high cost of such reactive approaches.