By: David Eubank and Dr. Stephanie Eubank DBA

Why Leadership Obsessed with Catching Wrongdoing Hurts Businesses

A recent viral TikTok post (https://www.tiktok.com/@itzmelmaot/video/7579060748219845901) highlighted a UCLA sociology professor allegedly fixated on catching students cheating. While this example comes from academia, the principle applies to business leadership: when leaders focus excessively on policing and punishing rather than empowering and guiding, organizations suffer.

SEO Keywords: leadership trust, micromanagement, remote team support, hybrid work strategies, empowering employees, business culture, psychological safety, disability inclusion

The Problem with Policing Over Performance

Micromanagement and hyper-vigilance erode trust, stifle creativity, and increase turnover. Leaders who prioritize catching wrongdoing create a culture of fear rather than accountability. Employees become risk-averse, innovation slows, and morale plummets. Research shows micromanaged employees report 68% lower morale and 55% reduced productivity (Murambinda, 2024).

Why Trust Matters in Leadership

Trust is the foundation of effective leadership. When employees feel trusted, they are more engaged, innovative, and loyal. Big Think identifies lack of psychological safety as a major leadership blind spot, noting that fear-based cultures lead to hidden problems and missed opportunities (Watkins, 2025).

Practical Ways to Support Teams Instead of Policing

Remote Teams

• Use collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack for transparency without surveillance.
• Focus on outcomes, not screen time. Set clear goals and trust employees to manage their schedules.
• Offer virtual coffee breaks and wellness check-ins to maintain connection.

Hybrid Teams

• Create flexible policies that respect both remote and in-office needs.
• Encourage autonomy by allowing employees to choose their work environment when possible.
• Use shared calendars for visibility rather than constant monitoring.

In-Person Teams

• Foster open communication and feedback loops.
• Recognize achievements publicly to build trust and morale.
• Avoid hovering—delegate tasks and empower decision-making.

Impact on Disabled Community in Business and Education

Toxic leadership that focuses on a ‘gotcha’ mentality—constantly trying to catch individuals doing something wrong—has severe consequences for students and employees in the disabled community. In education, this approach creates barriers for students who require accommodations, as they may be unfairly scrutinized or penalized for using adaptive tools. Instead of fostering inclusion, such leadership perpetuates stigma and discourages disclosure of disabilities.

In business, disabled employees often face additional challenges when leaders prioritize surveillance over support. This can lead to discrimination, reduced access to flexible work arrangements, and heightened anxiety. Inclusive leadership requires trust, empathy, and proactive accessibility measures, ensuring that performance evaluations consider context and accommodations rather than punitive metrics.

Inclusive Leadership Recommendations

• Implement clear policies that protect the rights of disabled individuals in both academic and workplace settings.
• Provide training for managers and educators on disability inclusion and anti-bias practices.
• Use technology to enable accessibility rather than as a tool for surveillance.
• Foster psychological safety by encouraging open dialogue about accommodations without fear of reprisal.

Better Alternatives to Policing

Instead of focusing on catching employees doing wrong, leaders should build trust, encourage transparency, set clear expectations, and reward integrity. Forbes emphasizes that avoiding micromanagement and fostering autonomy leads to stronger, more resilient teams (Fairbank, 2025).

References

Murambinda, B. (2024). Micromanagement: The Impact of Micromanagement. Human Capital Hub. Retrieved from https://www.thehumancapitalhub.com/articles/micromanagement-the-impact-of-micromanagement

Watkins, M. D. (2025). 7 leadership blind spots and how to remove them. Big Think. Retrieved from https://bigthink.com/business/7-leadership-blind-spots-and-how-to-remove-them

Fairbank, C. (2025). Top 5 Leadership Mistakes—And How To Avoid Them. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/06/18/top-5-leadership-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them

TikTok. (2025). #ucla #fyp #sociology #storytime #uclaprofessor. Retrieved from https://www.tiktok.com/@itzmelmaot/video/7579060748219845901

Shakespeare, T., & Watson, N. (2022). Disability, inclusion and leadership: Building equitable environments. Journal of Inclusive Education, 26(4), 567-580.