Just imagine how easy it would be to recruit top leadership talent if you could just have a sneak preview into how they behave on their way to and from a job interview, especially, when nobody’s watching.
How do they speak to the person who makes their latte at Starbucks? How do they react when someone has just jumped the queue? How do they manage their stress levels on an overcrowded tube? Or, how do they behave in the presence of their own family and friends? How do they act when their toddler has just thrown the food across the room for the 10th time…? What do they notice, what do they focus on?
Nowadays, those who want to recruit the right leader for their business must look at both skills and character, and assess how their personal and public persona merge.
This is particularly important as the majority of employees reject the old “top down” style of management. Free access to information and social media also means that we all express our opinions more openly than ever and share snapshots of our personal life making a 9 to 5 leadership a thing of the past.
Additionally, with concepts such as mindfulness and purposeful living gaining in popularity, employees also want to bond with, believe and be inspired by the very people who are in charge of their professional destiny.
Subsequently, this presence of positive human connections in the business arena is crucial to shape an empowering leadership. It’s not enough though for it to be just someone’s management style. For leaders to truly inspire trust and followership, this humanistic approach also has to be their way of life.
Why not test your own leadership style and consider this: “How you treat and talk to strangers when nobody’s watching reveals your true leadership quality…”. What would your observation reveal?
