Over the years, working with different leaders and teams, I’ve noticed a pattern that we don’t talk about enough: undermining authority.
It happens when someone in a position of power deliberately (or sometimes unconsciously) weakens or undermines another person’s credibility. It can be subtle, almost invisible to the outsider but deeply damaging to trust, relationships, and culture. In many cases, the person being undermined begins to question their own confidence and value.
Here are a few ways it shows up:
- Showing power: intervening just to remind everyone who’s in charge.
- Using sarcasm: making comments that get a laugh, but leave someone else feeling bad.
- Criticizing publicly: pointing out mistakes in a way that diminishes instead of develops.
- Seeing others as competition: treating colleagues as rivals rather than partners.
Behind these behaviors, there’s usually more than what meets the eye:
- fear of losing control
- insecurity about one’s own competence
- the belief that leadership means dominance rather than guidance
Ironically, leaders who undermine others might win the moment, they might silence a colleague or “prove” a point but over time, they lose the respect, trust and loyalty that real leadership is built on.
True leadership isn’t about shrinking others. It’s about creating space where people can stand taller, bring their best ideas, and feel safe enough to take risks. When leaders encourage, they empower. When they protect space for others to grow, they gain influence that lasts much longer than fear or control ever could.
When we recognize undermining behaviors in ourselves or in those around us we get the chance to shift, to pause, to choose respect over control and influence over fear. That’s the kind of leadership that inspires people to follow, not because they have to, but because they want to.
