Great Leaders Have No Rules

“Great leaders don’t just adopt rules; they challenge them to create workplaces where everyone succeeds.”

1. Rethink the Open-Door Policy

The classic open-door policy may seem like a great way to encourage communication and trust, but it often disrupts workflow and stifles autonomy. While it’s intended to make leaders approachable, ongoing interruptions can limit a manager’s ability to focus on high-priority tasks. Additionally, this policy inadvertently fosters dependence among employees, preventing them from making their own decisions.

Instead of maintaining a wide-open door, leaders should establish dedicated times for availability. This allows employees to schedule discussions and empowers them to develop decision-making skills outside of those designated times. It creates a healthy balance between accessibility and uninterrupted productivity for the leader.

For example, Steve Harvey’s memo about requiring scheduled appointments went viral, but it was a practical approach for his hectic schedule. Adopting a similar model for planned interaction ensures that urgent matters are addressed without constant disruptions.

Examples

• Steve Harvey implemented a no-drop-in policy to preserve focus before his shows.
• Scheduled “office hours” give employees a predictable time to raise concerns.
• Studies show 50% of employees avoid open-door policies for fear of judgment.

2. Scrap the Rulebook

Rules might seem helpful in keeping everyone aligned, but they often backfire. Excessive regulations reduce accountability, make employees feel distrusted, and put focus on conformity rather than goals. They can lead to inefficient behaviors, as staff may follow rules blindly instead of applying common sense on a case-by-case basis.

That’s why it's better to implement standards rather than rules. Standards encourage a shared understanding of goals and autonomy in how to achieve them. This method builds trust between employees and leadership, ensuring a more engaged workplace atmosphere.

For instance, a company that restricts access to personal emails on work computers may end up stifling productivity and creating frustration. In contrast, trusting employees to use resources wisely fosters responsibility.

Examples

• Nick, a business owner, wasted hours unblocking workers’ computers due to overzealous restrictions.
• Employees are less emotionally invested in rule-heavy workplaces.
• Flexible standards (e.g., dress codes like “dress appropriately”) encourage individual accountability.

3. The Need to Be Liked Can Undermine Leadership

While having friends at work can improve morale, leaders occupy a different role and must prioritize earning respect over seeking popularity. Striving to be liked often leads to avoiding tough conversations, poor decision-making, and a lack of leadership clarity.

Great leaders focus on what’s right for their teams rather than on maintaining personal friendships. Effective leadership means making strategic decisions that may not always be popular but earn long-term respect.

For example, Yahoo’s co-founder Jerry Yang struggled to align his company because his decisions were clouded by the desire to make everyone happy. In comparison, admired leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King maintained values-driven leadership, even in the face of adversity.

Examples

• Jerry Yang’s need to please everyone hindered Yahoo’s growth.
• Avoiding tough feedback can worsen workplace conflicts.
• Values-based leaders like Gandhi focus on impact over personal acceptance.

4. Lead with Care, Not Fear

Centuries of leadership literature, like Machiavelli’s The Prince, suggest that fear creates control and results. In truth, fear-driven environments suppress creativity, encourage stress, and push employees to leave for friendlier workplaces. Effective leaders manage people—not tasks—with care and support, creating cultures of trust and loyalty.

Showing genuine care doesn’t mean oversharing or being overly sentimental. Simple efforts, like saying hello or acknowledging milestones, can make employees feel valued. Building these connections lays the foundation for a more productive and harmonious work culture.

Take Paul Marciano’s research: “Good morning” greetings from managers significantly boosted employees’ sense of belonging. Similarly, learning small personal details, like the names of family members, shows care and garners trust.

Examples

• Gallup studies link higher productivity to employees feeling cared for.
• Paul Marciano identified a lack of greetings as a top employee complaint.
• Small courtesies, like remembering significant dates, enhance connectedness.

5. Ditch Your To-Do List—Block Your Time Instead

To-do lists can create stress instead of fostering productivity. Many listed tasks remain unfinished, leaving employees feeling overwhelmed and inefficient. Successful leaders focus on time blocking as an alternative, which eliminates the uncertainty of when tasks will be addressed.

Time blocking helps you prioritize according to values, ensuring that essential tasks—whether work-related goals or family time—don’t get lost. Scheduling peak performance periods allows leaders to tackle their most demanding tasks when they’re sharpest.

For example, Olympic athletes and entrepreneurs interviewed by Kevin Kruse swore by this strategy. They consistently blocked time rather than creating endless to-do lists that lacked focus.

Examples

• To-do lists often leave 41% of tasks incomplete, research reveals.
• High achievers block hours for priorities instead of tracking endless tasks.
• Early mornings work best for focus, with afternoons reserved for less critical activities.

6. Recognize Fair Is Better Than Equal

Treating everyone equally might seem fair, but it overlooks the individuality of your employees’ needs and contributions. Flexible management approaches ensure that long-term, high-performing employees get the support they’ve earned, while newer employees with performance gaps are held to stricter accountability.

This approach not only retains top talent but also motivates other employees to step up. Spending disproportionate time on underperformers detracts from guiding your strongest team members toward growth.

For example, entrepreneur Gary Brackett emphasized fair treatment over equal treatment. When dealing with tardiness, he nuanced consequences based on work histories, creating trust and motivation across his team.

Examples

• Gary Brackett supported long-term employees with leniency while upholding fair performance standards.
• Giving more attention to top workers cultivates loyalty and career growth.
• Time spent on underperformers often yields diminished returns.

7. Embrace Radical Transparency

Traditionally, leaders guarded information as a source of power. However, sharing data openly fosters trust, accelerates decision-making, and drives innovation. Employees with access to important information can proactively find solutions without waiting for approvals.

At Bridgewater Associates, CEO Ray Dalio encouraged employees to give direct feedback, even to him. Such transparency empowered decision-making and cultivated a no-secrets culture, propelling Bridgewater to become a global giant.

Open-book management—sharing all financial records with employees—further deepens involvement and ownership among the team. When people understand how their efforts impact company success, their performance naturally benefits.

Examples

• Ray Dalio’s radical transparency created an environment where even CEOs received constructive feedback.
• Transparent financial reporting increases engagement and smarter resource use.
• Bold risk-taking flourishes when failure isn't taboo.

8. Vulnerability Strengthens Leadership

Being honest about challenges and setbacks can make leaders more relatable, increasing trust and engagement among employees. Vulnerability is not a weakness; it’s a way to connect with others and create shared understanding.

A leader open about past failures or limitations sets the tone that setbacks are learning opportunities. This mindset fuels innovation because teams feel encouraged to experiment without fear of blame.

For instance, Kevin Kruse’s podcast listeners always connect most to stories of failure. It reminds employees they don’t have to be perfect and reinforces a culture of resilience.

Examples

• Leaders sharing personal setbacks inspire loyalty and relatability.
• Failure stories encourage innovation and responsible risk-taking.
• Relatable leadership builds emotional engagement, reducing turnover rates.

9. Let Go of Your Smartphone

Smartphones often wreak havoc on focus. Even when unused, their presence distracts us, derailing productivity for both leaders and employees. High-performing workplaces benefit from removing unnecessary distractions, particularly when teamwork and collaboration are involved.

Meetings stripped of smartphones allow for richer discussions and fewer interruptions. Leaders who model this practice encourage better habits across their teams.

For example, the Florida State cognitive research revealed that phone alerts tripled workplace mistakes, highlighting the importance of minimizing such distractions.

Examples

• Cognitive researchers link phone notifications to reduced accuracy in tasks.
• Teams perform better in phone-free brainstorming sessions.
• Leaving phones out of sight improves time management during work.

Takeaways

1. Replace your to-do list: Use time blocking to schedule each task, starting with your highest priorities, for improved focus and results.
2. Foster transparency: Begin sharing relevant team data and financials to build trust and involvement.
3. Show vulnerability: Share a personal failure with your team to inspire them and promote innovation.