Fairness in Leadership: Are you making your people feel disgusted?

Fairness in Leadership: A Critical Element of Performance  

While many businesses have a set of values, they often become irrelevant or even a source of disgust for staff. This happens when employees don’t see the connection between stated values and the actions of senior management. For example, I heard of a company where the MD promoted values like ‘Professionalism’ and ‘Respect’, but would demand the dismissal of certain staff simply because he didn’t like them. Such behaviour not only created fear but also a deep sense of unfairness. 

Recent neuroscience studies reveal that unfairness activates the brain’s Insular Cortex, which is associated with intense emotions, including disgust. There is now evidence that a feeling of fairness is a critical element of our social makeup, as important as food and safety. 

Fairness: As Important As Money? 

In an experiment by Golanza Tabibnia at Carnegie Mellon University, people preferred to receive no money rather than see someone else receive an unfair amount. Similarly, people felt more rewarded receiving $5 from a $10 pot than $5 from a $20 pot. So, it seems that a sense of fairness is even more important to us than money. 

This principle applies in workplaces where unequal treatment occurs. For example, when high-performing salespeople are allowed to break rules, like coming into work late, while others are reprimanded for similar behaviour, or when managers fail to address underperformance in some staff. Avoiding confrontation may seem easier for managers, but it creates a damaging sense of unfairness among the rest of the team. 

The Trust-Fairness Connection 

Fairness generates a powerful reward response in the brain, activating dopamine cells similar to the effect of a good meal or unexpected bonus. It enhances connection and trust and increases your levels of the happy chemicals like serotonin and oxytocin. These create a positive, solution-oriented emotional state that makes you open to new ideas and collaboration with others.  

However, feelings of unfairness are often underestimated by management. Many employment tribunals stem from employees perceiving unfair treatment and feeling that their concerns are not taken seriously by management. This can lead to dire consequences. 

Unfairness triggers the limbic system, our old mammalian brain, heightening pessimism and narrowing focus. It can cause individuals to make ‘accidental connections’, generalising one instance of unfair treatment to others and eroding trust across the board. For example, disputes over pay rises often spiral into toxic blame games where both staff and management feel wronged. 

Gaining Perspective on Unfairness 

Managing your response to feelings of unfairness is a vital skill because the world—and business—often rewards unfair behaviour. Developing self-awareness allows you to stay open-minded and solution-focused while others narrow their view and fixate on problems. 

When someone presses your ‘unfairness’ buttons, you have only milliseconds to respond before emotional arousal takes over. By labelling your emotions—whether it’s unfairness, lack of autonomy, or uncertainty—you can dampen limbic arousal and make better decisions. 

If labelling doesn’t work, try reappraising the situation by looking at it from different perspectives. This means taking a more objective view and seeing it ‘as if’ from another’s point of view or from a more detached and removed perspective. For example, view it as if you were a customer, supplier, or investor in the business. You can also create perspective by considering how you will view the situation five months from now, or five years from now. This reframing process requires effort but can help you think more objectively about challenges. 

Managing Fairness in Leadership

Effective leadership requires managing your own brain while influencing others’ thinking. If your team feels stressed or defensive, explore how it may be due to their perceptions of fairness. Helping employees understand why decisions have been made from different perspectives can reduce tension and rebuild trust.

Leadership success increasingly depends on self-awareness and mindfulness. Many readers have reported that practicing basic relaxation exercises helps them gain perspective and revitalise their inner resourcefulness. 

By prioritising fairness in leadership and fostering open communication, you can create an environment where trust thrives—and where your team feels valued rather than disgusted.

You can now access two versions of this basic relaxation meditation which have been recorded with an ambient soundscape.  

The 10 minute version is available here.   

The 20 minute version is available here. 

If you would like to think about the fairness of your strategic priorities, complete our Clarity Matrix™ Scorecard. It only takes 3 minutes and you get instant feedback and tips about what you can do next. There are also a number of free Guides to help you improve your scores on the Services pages of our website. 

You can also get in touch at info@talent4performance.co.uk to arrange a no-obligation call to discuss your needs.   

Remember when it comes to Fairness . . . Stay Curious! 

With best regards 

David Klaasen   

©David Klaasen 2016-2025