Your Team Doesn’t Need a Nice Boss. They Need This.

You’ve probably seen it before.

Leaders who claim to care about their teams, but disappear when the going gets tough.

They’re “of the people” and “for the people”, but turn their backs on you if you f*ck up.

The ones who talk about “psychological safety” or “team culture”, but will throw their people under the bus the moment things go sideways.

And then what happens? Their people shut down. Trust evaporates. Morale craters. Productivity sinks.

Because as soon as a team doesn’t believe their leader has their back, nothing else matters.

The Problem

Too many leaders think that being chummy and nice with their people makes them a great boss.

They’ve mastered the easy parts of leadership. The greetings. The compliments. The super safe conversations. The cosmetic sh*t you know?

But truly having your team’s back is much more than that. Much much more.

Having your team’s back is the unglamorous part of leadership that gets tested when stakes are high. When your people fail. Or when they’re being scrutinized.

And here’s the ugly truth: most people have worked for a boss who didn’t pass that test.

Which means your team is already skeptical.

How to Actually Have Their Back

You don’t need to be a superhero. You need to be consistent. Here’s where to start:

Protect Their Bandwidth

Having someone’s back is more than just saying you do. You need to shield them from needless chaos (especially in this day and age).

Push back on unrealistic deadlines. Say no to work that doesn’t align. Every boundary you protect tells your team: “I value your time and your sanity.”

Take the Hit Upward

This one is obvious. But when things go wrong, don’t deflect blame onto your team. Some leaders have that as their default setting. You shouldn’t. Try to own the sh*t.

“That’s on me. We’ll address it.”

Simple. But when your team sees that and they instantly know you’re someone they can trust under fire. They’ll run through brick walls for you.

Share Credit Loudly

Conversely, when things go well, try not to take the credit. Name names. Be specific.

“Credit goes to Maria for streamlining intake. She shaved 3 days off the process.”

The fastest way to build loyalty is to make sure people feel seen.

Closing Thoughts

Your team doesn’t need another “nice” boss (it’s easy to fake anyway).

They need someone they can trust to stand in the line of fire.

Because if your people don’t feel protected, they’ll stop taking risks. If they don’t feel valued, they’ll stop going the extra mile.

And when they don’t believe you’ll fight for them, they’ll eventually stop fighting for you.

Period.

But I assure you, if you get that part right, your people will follow you anywhere.

Enjoy your weekend,

Alain H.