Whether you operate a retail store, a hospitality business, or a service-based company, it’s helpful to know what shoppers are buying and what gift recipients are wishing for as you plan your inventory and holiday promotions. This year, gift-givers are looking for items that are functional, meaningful, or provide a memorable experience.
Here are some of the most in-demand gifts for the 2025 season—spanning a wide range of price points—to help you curate options that appeal to all types of shoppers.
Technology and Gadgets
Smartwatch bands
Bluetooth device trackers
Wireless charging stations
Fitness trackers
Drones
Smartwatches
3D printers
Virtual reality headsets
Pampering Gifts
Scented candles, especially those that enhance décor
Cuddle blankets
Quilted sweatshirts
Smart mugs
Fragrance mist bundles
Trade coffee subscriptions
Back and neck massagers
Towel warmers
Toys for Little Kids
Squishmallows
LEGO Botanicals
Melissa & Doug Simmer & Stir Play Set
Play-Doh Barbie Fashion Show Sets
3D printing pens
Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Activity Table
Robotic pets
Interactive furReal stuffed animals
Toys for Big Kids and Adults
Magnetic dartboards
Glow-in-the-dark basketballs
Tetris™ Micro Player Console
Vinyl record players
Wireless gaming keyboards
AirPods
Portable Bluetooth speakers
Nintendo Switch 2
Culinary Gifts
Zester/grater
Instant-read thermometer
Spice grinder
Pasta machine
Mini food processor
Sous vide cooker
Blue carbon steel wok
Outdoor pizza oven
Gifts for Senior Citizens
Large-print puzzle books
Streaming service subscriptions
Memory foam slippers
Pampering gift baskets with lotions, lip balm, and bath salts
Gourmet snack boxes
Heated throw blankets
Touch lamps
Robot vacuums
Gifts for Travelers
Airplane phone holder
Airplane foot hammock
International travel plug adapter
Travel organizer for electronics
Portable espresso maker
Silk pajamas
Smart swim goggles
Leather deluxe travel bag
Unique Experiences and Luxury Gifts
Behind-the-scenes tours
Private tasting parties
Hot air balloon rides
Deluxe spa packages for couples
Exclusive beach dinners
Private cooking demonstrations by chefs
Therabody Smart Goggles
“Live Like a Legend” luxury travel package
As you prepare for the holiday season, offer gifts across a wide range of price points. Most shoppers will be looking for value, while others will be seeking one-of-a-kind experiences and luxury items for their loved ones. Make sure your staff is knowledgeable and ready to help customers make confident, informed purchasing decisions this season.
If you want a successful holiday season, your first task is to attract shoppers to your business. You can do this by creating enticing marketing promotions, decorating your store or website to capture attention, and offering a warm, welcoming atmosphere once customers arrive. Here are some creative ideas to help you draw in potential shoppers this season.
Brick-and-Mortar Retail Stores
Design eye-catching window displays. Use creative holiday décor—especially pieces that include movement—to attract attention. Feature new or seasonal merchandise and rotate displays every week or two to keep things fresh.
Showcase your bestsellers. Include a “Christmas Wish List” in your window with products ranging from your most affordable to your premium items to show that you have gifts for every budget.
Add digital displays. Use a small screen or slideshow to highlight featured products and inform potential customers of your inventory even when your store is closed.
Create a festive atmosphere. Holiday music and simple refreshments—such as hot cider, coffee, or cookies—encourage shoppers to linger.
Offer samples. If you sell food products, let customers taste-test items before buying.
Provide seating. A comfortable spot for companions of shoppers can extend how long customers browse.
Host exclusive experiences. Reward loyal customers with special early-access shopping events or trunk shows.
Plan special appearances. Invite Santa or a local musician to entertain shoppers and bring in more foot traffic.
Provide gift-wrapping services. Partner with a local school or club to offer gift wrapping as a fundraiser.
Give back. Donate a portion of profits to a local charity and promote this partnership in your advertising and in-store signage.
Highlight local products. Share the stories of your local suppliers with framed displays or flyers near their merchandise.
Restaurants
Offer limited-time holiday menus with festive entrées, desserts, and beverages.
Collaborate with nearby businesses. Partner with local retailers to host early shopping breakfasts or special dining-and-shopping packages.
Support local artisans. Allow artists or craftspeople to display and sell their items in your waiting area.
Create relaxation packages. Partner with a nearby spa for a “break from the holiday hustle” special, or offer a couples’ package that includes a massage or carriage ride.
Offer holiday catering or “take-and-heat” meals for customers who want festive food without the work.
Host themed events. Plan fun nights like “Ugly Sweater Night” or “Grinch Night,” and reward participants with a free appetizer or dessert.
Give back to the community. Support toy drives or local charities and reward customers who participate with discounts or free items.
Feature live entertainment. Invite local musicians or choir groups to perform during the season.
Online Shopping Sites
Run strategic promotions. Announce limited-time offers on your social media platforms and create urgency with countdowns or flash sales.
Engage your customers. Use email campaigns to promote new products and upcoming specials.
Add festive website elements. Incorporate holiday-themed banners, animations, or gentle falling snow to create a seasonal feel that keeps shoppers on your site longer.
Simplify purchasing. Offer free shipping, easy returns, and multiple payment options—including digital wallets—to reduce purchase hesitation.
Bundle gifts. Create curated gift sets and lists organized by price point, recipient, or interest.
Encourage return visits. Send special discounts to first-time buyers or reminders to customers who left items in their cart.
Final Thoughts
These strategies can help attract shoppers to your store, restaurant, or website—and keep them engaged once they arrive. Be creative, offer variety, and maintain a welcoming atmosphere. When your business feels festive and customer-focused, you’ll not only increase holiday sales but also build long-term loyalty that lasts well beyond the season.
We are in the fourth quarter of the year, and it’s time to prepare for the holiday shopping season. Traditionally, Black Friday marks the start of holiday shopping.
If you’re a retailer or in the hospitality industry, it’s important to understand how shopping habits may differ this year. Here are some key predictions:
Shoppers will prioritize value, watching closely for discounts and sales.
Functional gifts will take precedence over novelty or luxury items.
Gift cards will remain a popular choice.
Many consumers will “trade down” by choosing store brands, smaller quantities, and discount retailers.
Buy Now, Pay Later options will see increased use as shoppers spread purchases over a longer timeframe. In fact, July retail sales rose 5.8% as some began holiday shopping early.
Higher-income shoppers will focus on experiential gifts such as travel, dining, and leisure activities.
About one-third of shoppers will make a deliberate effort to shop local, seeking handmade or locally sourced items.
How to Prepare for Holiday Shopping
To make the most of this season, small business owners should start planning now. Here are practical steps to get ready:
Stock early. Have your shelves ready by mid-October with items that make good gifts but aren’t holiday-themed yet. Electronics, jewelry, toys, and personal care items are excellent early options.
Order ahead. Place orders for high-demand, nonperishable holiday items that can be stored until late fall.
Plan your layout. Feature promoted products in high-traffic areas.
Offer variety. Provide similar products in different sizes and price points to appeal to every budget.
Reward loyal customers. Use loyalty programs to offer exclusive deals and consider hosting early shopping events for members.
Leverage AI and data. Analyze shopping habits to personalize promotions and product recommendations.
Prepare your marketing. Develop holiday campaigns now that celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and other seasonal events.
Schedule your big events. Decide which items to highlight for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, and create marketing materials for each.
Train early. Begin hiring and training now so your team is ready for the holiday rush with great customer service and clear knowledge of store policies.
Optimize your website. Make sure your online store is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
Showcase range. Advertise gifts at various price points to emphasize affordability and choice.
Take care of yourself. Rest and recharge before the busy season begins—you’ll need your energy and enthusiasm!
The countdown to Christmas and other fall holidays has begun. Preparing now will help your season run more smoothly, delight your customers, and boost your year-end sales.
The last four workplace trends from our quiz highlight positive employee behaviors. These include unbossing, job crafting, career cushioning, and acting your wage.
Each trend represents steps that employees or employers can take to foster growth, balance, and long-term satisfaction at work. As a business owner or manager, understanding these trends—and encouraging them where appropriate—can help you create a positive workplace culture and retain top talent.
Unbossing
Unbossing was popularized by the CEO of Novartis to promote servant leadership and empower employees. Today, many companies use it to replace rigid hierarchies with more flexible, collaborative structures. By removing layers of middle management, employees gain more autonomy, which often leads to higher engagement, better mental health, and increased innovation.
Key benefits of unbossing include:
Employees decide how and when they work, with accountability tied to outcomes and deadlines—improving work-life balance and motivation.
Teams self-manage workflows, goals, and performance, leading to faster decision-making and greater innovation.
Fewer management layers reduce payroll and overhead costs.
Leaders act as coaches and mentors, and employees communicate directly with leadership, reducing miscommunication.
Challenges for small businesses include:
Owners may struggle to let go of decision-making.
Without clear accountability, deadlines can be missed or productivity may drop.
Unclear authority may stall progress when final decisions aren’t made.
Small teams may lack experienced leaders who understand coaching-based leadership.
How to succeed with unbossing: Clearly define goals, implement accountability measures, and encourage transparent communication. Tools like Teams, Trello, Slack, Zoom, or Monday.com can support collaboration and alignment.
Job Crafting
Job crafting occurs when employees reshape their roles to align with their strengths, passions, and values. This can include:
Task crafting – taking on projects that spark interest, using new tools to improve efficiency, or delegating less enjoyable tasks.
Relationship crafting – working with colleagues, mentors, or clients who inspire growth.
Cognitive crafting – reframing how one thinks about work to make it more meaningful.
Steps to begin job crafting:
Reflect on your strengths, interests, and values.
Choose one specific change to improve your role.
Discuss changes with your manager if they affect tasks or clients (cognitive crafting is more personal).
Test the change, measure its impact, and build from small successes.
Done well, job crafting boosts fulfillment while maintaining or even increasing productivity.
Career Cushioning
Career cushioning is the practice of preparing for your next role while still employed. Think of it as career insurance. Employees who career-cushion are proactive about growth and resilience.
Key practices include:
Keeping your résumé and LinkedIn profile updated.
Building professional relationships through networking and events.
Staying aware of job market trends and openings.
Upgrading skills and learning industry developments.
Developing side income streams to provide stability in case of job loss.
For employers, career cushioning shouldn’t be viewed negatively. Employees who stay sharp and connected often bring new skills and perspectives that benefit their current workplace.
Act Your Wage
“Act your wage” is a workplace trend where employees set healthy boundaries by working within the scope of their responsibilities and protecting their personal time. They push back against the expectation to constantly work overtime or take on responsibilities without fair compensation.
Why it matters:
For employees, it protects mental health, prevents burnout, and reinforces fair boundaries.
For managers, it highlights the importance of fair compensation, balanced workloads, and respect for personal time.
How employers can support this:
Avoid assigning tasks outside an employee’s job description.
Ensure workloads don’t require regular overtime, and encourage use of paid time off.
Provide raises or promotions when adding responsibilities.
Business benefits include:
Fair compensation and clear expectations.
Reduced burnout, turnover, and disengagement.
Stronger morale and job satisfaction.
Final Thoughts
In today’s competitive job market, attracting and retaining strong employees is more challenging than ever. Encouraging positive workplace behaviors—like unbossing, job crafting, career cushioning, and acting your wage—creates an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and fulfilled. Employees who know their responsibilities, are fairly compensated, and enjoy a healthy work-life balance are far more likely to stay and thrive in your organization for years to come.
Certain workplace behaviors signal deeper issues in the office environment. These behaviors often arise when employees feel unappreciated, overwhelmed, or pressured to keep working when they truly need a break. Business owners and managers should be aware of these behaviors so they can address root causes, create a healthier workplace, and retain valuable employees.
Presenteeism
Presenteeism occurs when employees come to work when they really shouldn’t. Most often, it happens when someone is sick, injured, mentally exhausted, or dealing with personal stress, but still shows up. It can also mean staying late until the boss leaves, even when there is no real work left to do. Employees often do this because they don’t have enough paid time off, they fear losing their job, they’re under pressure to meet deadlines, or they don’t want to miss important office conversations.
The consequences of presenteeism can be serious. An employee who is truly ill will not be able to fully concentrate, which increases the likelihood of mistakes and lowers productivity. Their lack of rest may actually prolong their illness, requiring more time away from work later. They may also spread their illness to others, which can impact the whole team. In the case of stress or burnout, presenteeism may cause poor performance, errors, or even long-term disengagement.
Employers can help reduce presenteeism by:
Providing sufficient paid time off so employees don’t feel forced to work while sick.
Establishing clear guidelines about when someone must stay home (such as with a fever or sore throat).
Allowing flexible work arrangements for employees who are injured but still able to work in some capacity.
Creating a culture of trust and support, so employees don’t fear taking needed time off.
Quiet Cracking
Quiet cracking is a subtle but harmful workplace behavior that develops when employees appear to meet expectations on the surface, but are struggling internally with stress, burnout, or discouragement. Over time, these pressures cause the employee to “crack” quietly, pulling back from engagement and beginning to detach from their role.
Quiet cracking may be triggered by an overwhelming workload, lack of training, or unclear job expectations. It can also stem from feeling unsupported, unrecognized, or uncertain about the future of the job market. The outward signs may look small at first, but they often grow into larger problems for both the employee and the business.
Warning signs of quiet cracking include:
Withdrawal from team interactions and social events.
Reluctance to volunteer for new assignments or projects.
Changes in mood, behavior, or productivity.
Missed deadlines or slow responses to communication.
Increased absences from work.
Employers can help prevent quiet cracking by:
Checking in with employees regularly and showing genuine interest in their well-being.
Expressing appreciation and acknowledging contributions.
Providing clear job descriptions and realistic expectations.
Offering training and career development opportunities.
Balancing workloads so responsibilities are spread fairly across the team.
Rage Applying
Rage applying happens when an employee, frustrated or upset with their current job, reacts by rapidly applying to multiple other positions out of anger rather than thoughtful career planning. This often follows a triggering event—such as being passed over for a raise or promotion—and is more about venting frustration than finding the right next step.
While rage applying can sometimes lead to new opportunities, it carries risks. Employees may accept a job that isn’t a good fit or feel more stressed from juggling interviews on top of an already difficult situation. They may also miss opportunities to improve their current role through open communication and problem-solving.
Employers can help reduce rage applying by:
Ensuring employees are paid fairly for the work they perform.
Offering multiple paths for career advancement within the company.
Providing clear expectations for promotions and the skills required to achieve them.
Maintaining an open-door policy for employee concerns and frustrations.
Avoiding excessive workloads that lead to burnout and resentment.
Proximity Bias
Proximity bias occurs when managers favor employees who are physically present in the office over those working remotely. This bias is often unintentional, as leaders naturally see and interact more with in-office employees. As a result, those working remotely may miss out on key assignments, recognition, and promotions simply because they are “out of sight, out of mind.”
If unchecked, proximity bias can damage team morale and create inequity between employees. Remote workers may feel overlooked or disconnected, while in-office workers may gain advantages that don’t necessarily reflect performance. Over time, this can erode trust and cause talented remote workers to leave.
Employers can reduce proximity bias by:
Including remote and hybrid workers in all staff meetings and ensuring they have equal access to tools and resources.
Training managers to recognize and correct unintentional bias.
Setting clear guidelines for remote work expectations and responsibilities.
Using tools like Teams or Slack to keep all employees connected and informed.
Evaluating performance based on outcomes, not physical presence.
Offering remote employees opportunities to lead projects and apply for promotions.
Final Thoughts
Workplace environments will always present challenges, but business owners can create healthier, more positive cultures by addressing these negative behaviors directly. Employees who feel valued and supported are not only more productive but also more likely to stay long-term, helping your company grow and better serve its customers.
The way we work has changed dramatically in recent years. Remote work, once limited to a few industries, became mainstream during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a necessity has now evolved into an expectation for many employees. Flexibility in work location is often used as a bargaining chip to attract and retain talent, and new workplace trends have emerged as a result.
In this blog, we’ll look at three of the most talked-about trends—coffee badging, workcations, and digital nomadism—and what they mean for small business owners and managers.
Coffee Badging
Coffee badging is when employees make a brief appearance in the office—long enough to swipe their badge, grab a coffee, and connect with colleagues—before heading home to work remotely. While not every employee literally swipes in, the term has stuck to describe this trend.
In fact, I sometimes coffee badge myself on days I work remotely. I’ll come in for a staff meeting, chat for a few minutes afterward, and then return home where I can be more productive without office distractions.
The positives of coffee badging:
Creates opportunities for employees to connect in person, which can spark collaboration and problem-solving.
Breaks the isolation of remote work.
Helps employees maintain visibility and presence in the workplace without being tied to the office full-time.
Supports work-life balance while keeping connections intact.
The drawbacks of coffee badging:
Brief interactions may not be enough to build strong teams.
Employees who live far from the office may be excluded.
Some workers show up only to be seen, without contributing.
How leaders can make coffee badging effective:
Focus in-office meetings on activities that benefit from face-to-face interaction.
Use these times to recognize and encourage employees.
Ensure fully remote employees aren’t left out of opportunities or recognition.
Create a welcoming environment with coffee, snacks, and comfortable spaces.
Workcations
A “workcation” happens when employees travel to a vacation spot but continue working while they’re away. The appeal is obvious—new scenery, a chance to unwind after work hours, and often a boost in creativity. But without boundaries, workcations can blur the line between work and rest.
Tips to make workcations effective:
Employees should communicate clearly with their manager about work hours, especially if in a different time zone.
Reliable internet is a must—check this before booking.
Take at least a few true vacation days during the trip to fully recharge.
Plan around mandatory meetings and let travel companions know your schedule.
Digital Nomadism
Digital nomadism goes a step further: it’s not just a week away, but a lifestyle of traveling and working from anywhere. Enabled by the internet, this trend has grown significantly in the last 15 years. Today, many digital nomads are not just freelancers but full-time employees negotiating this flexibility with their companies.
Benefits:
Flexibility to live and work anywhere.
Exposure to new cultures and lifestyles.
Potential for improved work-life balance.
Challenges:
Navigating work permits and visa requirements.
Understanding tax and employment laws.
Coordinating across time zones with colleagues.
Protecting sensitive company data abroad.
Final Thoughts
Remote work has created both opportunities and challenges. Coffee badging, workcations, and digital nomadism are trends that reflect employees’ desire for flexibility and balance. As a small business owner, you don’t need to embrace every trend, but it is wise to understand them.
Take time to evaluate which positions in your company can be done effectively outside the office. Develop clear guidelines for remote work, and balance flexibility with accountability. Done right, offering remote options can help you attract and retain top talent who might not otherwise consider your business.
Do you have employees who work through lunch, stay late, and still can’t seem to finish their tasks? They may be “clock botching.”
Or perhaps you’ve noticed employees doing the bare minimum to get by—often referred to as “quiet quitting.” Others may appear busy but aren’t producing meaningful results, a behavior called “task masking.” In the most severe cases, employees may be “ghostworking”—pretending to work while putting their time toward other activities.
While these behaviors aren’t new, the terms that describe them have gained attention in recent years. As I researched these patterns, I was surprised by just how many ways employees can appear busy while avoiding meaningful productivity.
For business owners and managers, recognizing these behaviors is critical. They don’t just reduce productivity—they often point to deeper problems in the workplace. Low morale, burnout, poor time management, or unclear expectations can all contribute. Identifying and addressing these behaviors is the first step toward creating a healthier, more effective work environment.
Clock Botching
Clock botching happens when an employee is on the clock but not truly engaged in their work. They may look dedicated—staying late or attending every meeting—but their output tells a different story.
Signs of clock botching include:
Working long hours with little to show for it
Stretching simple tasks over an entire day
Lack of engagement during meetings
This behavior is often unintentional. Employees may struggle with time management, feel burned out, or lack a sense of purpose in their work. As a manager, your role is to recognize the pattern and help them re-engage.
That may mean:
Having honest conversations about what’s behind the decline in productivity
Offering paid time off if burnout is an issue
Providing training or tools to improve time management
Setting aside time to prioritize and break down tasks together
Small changes—like using time management apps or weekly check-ins—can help employees regain focus and deliver stronger results.
Quiet Quitting
Unlike clock botching, quiet quitting is intentional. Employees complete only what is required of them—no more, no less. They may disengage from office activities, social events, or collaborative opportunities.
Common causes include:
Burnout
Dissatisfaction with pay or lack of career growth
Poor management or unclear expectations
Desire for better work-life balance
If you notice quiet quitting, start with self-reflection. Ask yourself:
Am I offering clear opportunities for growth?
Are employees fairly compensated?
Do I respect their personal time and boundaries?
If improvements are needed, acknowledge this and commit to change. If, however, your workplace provides fair pay, opportunities, and balance, and the employee still disengages, it may be time for them to move on.
Task Masking
Task masking is when employees look busy but produce little value. This can include shuffling papers, carrying laptops around, sitting silently in video meetings, or endlessly scrolling through emails.
Often, task masking thrives in organizations that reward “looking busy” rather than achieving outcomes. Pressure to appear productive—sometimes intensified by fears of being replaced by AI or being forced back into the office—can push employees toward this behavior.
To combat task masking, leaders should:
Set clear, meaningful goals tied to the company’s mission
Reward results, not just hours worked
Support flexible or hybrid schedules where possible
Build trust and enthusiasm through purposeful work
When employees know their contributions matter, they’re more likely to stay engaged and productive.
Ghostworking
Ghostworking takes task masking a step further. Employees not only appear busy but actively fake productivity—sometimes while job hunting, updating resumes, or browsing online.
Examples include:
Keeping a report open on-screen while doing personal tasks
Scheduling fake meetings to avoid accountability
Pretending to make calls while engaging in personal conversations
Research suggests 58% of U.S. workers admit to ghostworking regularly.
Ghostworking often arises when employees feel undervalued, insecure about job stability, or unhappy but unwilling to quit until they find another role.
Leaders can reduce ghostworking by:
Recognizing and rewarding real accomplishments
Building stronger engagement and connection with employees
Reducing workplace distractions
Ensuring fair compensation
When employees feel valued and connected, they’re less likely to disengage or fake their efforts.
Final Thoughts
Behaviors like clock botching, quiet quitting, task masking, and ghostworking may look like productivity issues on the surface—but often they point to deeper challenges in the workplace. Low morale, lack of recognition, poor management practices, and burnout are frequently at the root.
As a business owner or manager, your role isn’t just to spot these behaviors, but to ask why they are happening and address the cause. Clear goals, fair compensation, meaningful recognition, and a supportive environment go a long way in preventing these productivity killers. When you create a workplace where employees feel valued, motivated, and connected to your mission, true productivity—not just the appearance of it—will follow
I recently came across the term “clock botching,” which was new to me. Upon researching the term, I learned that it was coined earlier this month to describe a new workplace trend. That led me to explore other terms—many of which describe behaviors that have emerged in recent years.
Test your knowledge! Match each workplace trend (left column) to the correct description (right column).
In the next few blogs, we will look at the factors that influenced these trends, the pros and cons of each, and how they impact your business.
In recent blogs, we explored effective leadership approaches that help small business owners succeed. But many leaders still struggle to manage employees well. In fact, a study by Cake.com found that only 29% of employees trust their leaders, and just 20% believe they’re managed in a way that helps them work productively.
If you feel frustrated in your role as a leader, it may help to recognize which management styles are ineffective—and more importantly, how to correct them. Let’s look at four of the most common ineffective leadership styles and practical ways to overcome them.
Micromanagement
Micromanagers closely monitor every action their employees take. They resist delegating, and when they do, they often interfere with the work and demand constant updates. This creates an atmosphere where employees feel distrusted, fearful of mistakes, and discouraged from being creative. The result? Low morale, reduced productivity, and high turnover.
How to overcome micromanagement:
Acknowledge the behavior and identify the root cause. Is it fear of failure? Perfectionism? Lack of trust?
Start small by delegating low-risk tasks. Give clear expectations but avoid dictating every step.
Focus on goals and outcomes, not micromanaging the process.
Celebrate employee creativity and innovation.
Schedule regular check-ins rather than constant oversight.
Ask employees for feedback on how empowered they feel.
Invest in leadership development training—for yourself and your team.
Authoritarian Leadership
Authoritarian leaders make decisions alone, without input from their employees. While this style may feel efficient, it creates a fear-based culture, stifles creativity, and leaves employees disengaged.
How to shift away from authoritarian leadership:
Reflect on why you lead this way—often it’s driven by fear of failure or a need for control.
Invite feedback and listen to your employees’ concerns.
Delegate tasks and focus on results rather than process.
Adopt a coaching mindset: guide and encourage rather than command.
Encourage collaboration and shared decision-making.
Celebrate progress when you successfully empower employees.
Passive (Hands-Off) Leadership
At the opposite end of the spectrum, passive leaders avoid leading altogether. They focus only on their own tasks, leaving employees without direction or support. Conflicts go unresolved, decisions are delayed, and performance suffers.
How to become more engaged as a leader:
Acknowledge the avoidance. Remind yourself that you were chosen to lead because you are capable.
Ask your employees what they need from you and really listen.
Work with your team to set goals, priorities, and clear expectations.
Interact regularly and provide feedback—both praise and constructive guidance.
Gather information before making decisions rather than avoiding them.
Empower your team to make decisions and develop their skills.
Indecisive Leadership
Indecisive leaders procrastinate on decisions out of fear of mistakes. This creates confusion, frustrates employees, and causes missed opportunities for growth. Over time, employees lose confidence in their leader.
How to overcome indecisiveness:
Revisit why you started your business and define three priorities to guide your decisions.
Create a decision-making process (such as pros/cons lists or SWOT analysis).
Set deadlines to avoid procrastination.
Delegate decision-making where appropriate to reduce your burden.
Build confidence by making smaller, low-risk decisions first.
Accept that mistakes are part of leadership—learn from them and move forward.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, many of the corrective steps apply to more than one ineffective leadership style. Each plan of corrective action involves building relationships and trust with your employees. Whether you are a small business owner or a team leader within a company, your employees are your greatest assets. Treat your employees with respect and build their confidence so that they will partner with you to accomplish the goals of your company.
This blog concludes our leadership series, where we’ve explored both effective and ineffective leadership styles. Over the past several weeks, we’ve looked at transformational, servant, and coaching leadership—styles that inspire, guide, and empower employees. We’ve also examined the challenges of leading different generations in the workplace. Now, by addressing ineffective patterns such as micromanagement, authoritarianism, passivity, and indecision, you have a full picture of what to avoid and what to strive toward. Strong leadership is not about perfection—it’s about growth, self-awareness, and a commitment to creating a culture where both you and your employees can thrive.
In the last few blogs, we’ve explored six effective leadership styles: servant, transformational, results-driven, hands-on, adaptive, and coaching.
While no single style works best for every employee, servant leadership consistently ranked highest across most generations of workers. Beyond boosting morale and engagement, servant leadership can also improve the bottom line. A 2023 study found that business owners who shifted to a servant leadership approach saw an increase in profits.
What Makes a Servant Leader?
Servant leaders stand out by:
Allowing employees to share their feelings and suggestions
Listening to feedback from employees, customers, and stakeholders
Admitting mistakes and acknowledging they don’t have all the answers
Recognizing the contributions of others
Leading with authenticity
Committing to personal growth and improvement
Building a culture of trust and safety
Jesus modeled this style of leadership, reminding His disciples:
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” — Mark 10:43–45
How Servant Leadership Benefits Businesses
Servant leadership doesn’t just feel good—it produces tangible results that can strengthen and grow a business:
1. Greater Employee Engagement
Employees feel valued, connected, and empowered in their roles
Engaged employees are more likely to stay, reducing costly turnover
Practicing servant leadership fosters a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration. These qualities not only make the workplace more positive but also contribute to long-term profitability.
The apostle Paul captured this spirit well:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” — Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)
When business owners choose to serve first, both people and profits thrive.
Susan's Reflections 
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