When Leaders Show Favoritism - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

It is human nature that we have more in common with and an easier time relating to some people than others. Leaders often favor nurses who accomplish their assignments with the least direct supervision, organizational drama, and overall disruption. It can be problematic in leadership when the nurse leader is perceived by staff as treating some people better than others, especially in giving assignments and shift scheduling. The implications of favoritism are far-reaching in their influence to promote a toxic culture that destroys engagement, commitment, and integrity. New leaders promoted from within are at especially high risk when they work with former peers and friends.

There are very overt leaders with their favoritism who make decisions knowing that they are playing favorites. They don’t care how their decisions are perceived. These leaders use favoritism as a tool to manipulate and control situations by deliberately favoring some employees instead of others to gain loyalty and centralize their power. Other leaders may make decisions that are perceived as favoritism inadvertently, maybe not even aware of their personal biases. Either way, favoritism is a real demotivator for staff who may feel that some staff are treated better than others despite their work quality. It can lead to high staff turnover and a reluctance to recommend a place of employment.

So what should leaders do to avoid the perceptions of favoritism? One piece of advice that I always give new leaders is to strive to be fair – in the end, it is more important than being nice. Self-awareness here is key, so it is important to reflect on your own leadership actions and ask yourself questions such as:

Do I have favorites on my staff?
Do I have behaviors that some staff could perceive as indicating that I have favorites?
Have I made patient care assignments where I have favored some staff more than others?
Have I given some staff development opportunities and not others?
Do I have personal relationships with some of my staff outside of work?
Do I give some staff access to my social media sites and not others?
Have I built an inclusive team, or do I socialize with some staff and not others?
When I grant requests, do I ask myself whether I could do this for other staff if asked?
Do I allow some staff to fawn over me or ingratiate themselves to me to gain favors?
Do I share information with some staff and not others?
Would I be prepared to defend my decision with facts if asked by my supervisor?
Is there some staff with performance issues that I like and do treat differently?
Have I recommended a staff member for promotion because I personally like them more than another candidate?
Do I praise and recognize some staff and not others?
Do I pay more attention to suggestions given by some staff and not others?

Being a leader is similar to being a parent. Most parents must work hard to avoid the appearance of playing favorites and provide each child with a similar amount of attention. Leaders should pay close attention to any issues of favoritism identified in the work environment or engagement surveys. Playing favorites is a dangerous and destructive game. It erodes morale and leads to distrust of the leader.

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