Article 6 - A Culture That Cares – Leadership Styles That Prevent Burnout

 

Introduction: Does Leadership Heal or Harm?

Leadership in the apparel industry can make or break an employee’s experience. In Sri Lankan factories where production floors buzz from dawn to dusk, the leadership style whether toxic or transformational can either fuel burnout or foster resilience.

This article explores how leadership impacts employee stress, drawing from real-world factory experiences, HRM theories, and practical leadership strategies to cultivate a culture that truly cares.

Toxic Leadership: A Hidden Factory Hazard

Toxic leaders micromanage, criticize publicly, ignore emotional needs, and rarely show appreciation.

Real Case Example – A Troubled GM in a Leading Apparel Group (2023)
A newly hired HR General Manager in a top-tier Sri Lankan apparel firm created an atmosphere of fear:

• Verbally aggressive in meetings

• Publicly shamed junior HR staff

• Took credit for others’ work

• Ignored mental health concerns raised during COVID-19 recovery

Result: Within 6 months, 5 of 8 HR executives resigned, employee grievances doubled, and internal surveys showed a 40% drop in morale.

This is what Grint (2005) calls "command-and-control leadership" a style that demands obedience, not commitment.

Transformational Leadership: The Antidote to Burnout

In contrast, transformational leaders build trust, empower teams, and communicate openly—ideal traits in a stress-prone industry.

According to Northouse (2021), transformational leaders:

• Motivate employees beyond personal gain

• Create a shared vision

• Coach, mentor, and support individual growth

• Inspire psychological safety

Covey (2004) supports this view by emphasizing trust-based leadership: “When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective.”

Comparing Leadership Styles:

Style	Toxic (Grint, 2005)	Transformational (Northouse, 2021)
Focus	Control & Fear	Vision & Empowerment
Feedback	Negative, Public	Constructive, Private
Decision-making	Top-down	Collaborative
Stress Management	Ignored or dismissed	Embedded into support practices
Employee Impact	Anxiety, turnover	Loyalty, innovation

Practical Tips for Apparel Leaders Under Pressure

Strategy	What to Do	Why It Works
🧏 Listen Often	Conduct weekly 1:1s with team	Builds trust and reveals early stress signs
💬 Appreciate Publicly	Celebrate effort, not just outcomes	Boosts morale, especially under high targets
🛑 Pause Before Pushing	Reassess workloads during crisis weeks	Prevents burnout in fast-paced cycles
🧠 Promote Self-Care	Allow flex leave for stress relief	Protects long-term mental health
🧭 Model Emotional Intelligence	Stay calm under pressure	Creates psychological safety

Toxic vs Transformational Leadership Impact

Simple Explanation:

• In toxic leadership, stress goes unaddressed and multiplies.

• Transformational leadership channels pressure into growth, by promoting empathy, communication, and resilience.

Conclusion: Leaders Set the Tone for Emotional Health

In an industry built on deadlines and deliverables, leaders must balance performance with empathy. Toxic leadership may meet short-term goals—but at the cost of long-term talent and wellbeing.

To build a culture that cares, apparel industry leaders should:

• Choose collaboration over command

• Prioritize wellbeing as much as production

• Understand that leadership is not just about results but relationships

Harvard References

• Covey, S.R. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press.

• Grint, K. (2005). Leadership: Limits and Possibilities. Palgrave Macmillan.

• Northouse, P.G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice. 9th ed. Sage Publications.

• Hayes, J. (2022). The Theory and Practice of Change Management. 6th ed. Palgrave Macmillan.

• Academy of Management Journal (2023). Leadership and Burnout in Manufacturing, 66(1), pp.55–76.

• Internal case reports – MAS & Brandix (2022–2023).