One the more disappointing moments I had as a boss was when I discovered that one of my subordinate leaders treated their subordinates differently depending on whether I was present…or absent.
How did this play out? When in my presence, the leader treated everyone under their charge respectfully.
However, when I wasn’t around, things would change. 
I was surprised and disappointed to learn that they sometimes treated their employees with outright disdain.
This obvious change in behavior – treating staff with either respect or disdain depending on whether the boss is present – is the calling card of a two-faced leader.
Was my experience an isolated one? Sadly, no. This exact scenario is often brought up by participants in my leadership seminars. The question is – what can the boss do to decrease the likelihood of having such a leader on the team?
One answer is to establish your leadership expectations early and communicate them often.
…‘course correct’ conversions were much more productive because we had previously discussed – eyeball to eyeball – my expectations.
I learned late in my Navy career – during my command tour at Naval Hospital Bremerton, WA – the power of establishing and communicating leadership expectations (I was mentored to do this by a friend and prior Commanding Officer – I wish I had learned this earlier!). As per her wise counsel, prior to assuming command, I thought deeply about what ‘great leadership’ looked like. I documented my expectations on a single sheet of paper. I met with my leaders and we discussed these expectations.
One expectation that we discussed was to always treat all staff with dignity and respect. I spoke of the importance of this behavior often and tried my best to do the same. Leaders knew that this was important to me. When they met my expectations, they were rewarded. When they didn’t, we’d course correct. Not surprisingly, these ‘course correct’ conversions were much more productive because we had previously discussed – eyeball to eyeball – my expectations.
…establish your leadership expectations early and communicate them often.
Did I have two-faced leaders in my command? Of course – this threat can’t be eliminated. However, by establishing and communicating my leadership expectations early and often – especially noting the expectation to always treat all staff with respect – the threat was reduced.
Be a great leader. Establish and communicate your leadership expectations early and often, especially the treatment of subordinates. While it may not eliminate two-faced leaders, it will decrease the likelihood of having one on your team.