Most important strengths of a leader – charisma or individual consideration?
A recent study looked at two of the most admired strengths of a leader – charisma and individual consideration. You may be surprised which one came out on top.
Have you ever gotten a call like this: “All hell is breaking loose here, what should we do?”
I won’t say I love to get that call, but it feels good to step up and handle a situation where a client, coworker or consultant is feeling overwhelmed. Leaders are supposed to be strong, charismatic and have their act together. Never let them see you sweat, right? I’ll admit, I consider it one of my strengths – keeping cool under pressure, calm during the storm.
The study looked at which leadership trait was more likely to support emotional expression at work. Emotional expression is not just about how individuals express their own emotions. It also has to do with how they influence or experience the emotions of others. This is important in the work environment for at least two reasons.
Reason One: You interact with your employees (and they interact with each other).
Reason Two: Your employees interact with your customers.
The fact is “emotions exert an incredibly powerful force on human behavior.” According to Psychology Today, emotions are also associated with “temperament, personality, mood, and motivation.” As the leader of my own small business, I can assure you these are all areas I want my team members (not to mention myself) to have balance.
Which of the strengths of leadership increased emotional expression? Individual consideration. Leadership charisma actually reduced expression of emotions.
An interesting find, isn’t it? One would think that a leader with great personal charm would naturally develop stronger relationships with her employees. I think the kicker here is something our Approachable Leadership Team has been touching on for a while. Leadership isn’t about the leader. It’s about the individuals who work for the leaders.
Of course folks enjoy energy and charm. But charisma isn’t something most people learn. I’m not saying it can’t be developed, but it is more about your own self-confidence and less about your people. To develop a relationship with an individual is a different kind of effort. As a leader, it shows that you care.
Maybe you’re a charismatic leader who is good at getting people to do what you want. But when you look at your relationships with employees or business partners do you feel like something’s missing? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. The first step to developing these relationship is to be more approachable.
Here are three ways you can start being more approachable today:
- Tone down the charm a bit and get real. Say what is really on your mind, not what the “got it together” leader would say.
- Let them see that you’re not as put together as you come off. Go ahead and let them see you sweat.
- Stop worrying so much about what kind of impression you make. Worry instead about how others are doing. Ask them. Is there anything you can do to make their work better?
Do you have any experience with charismatic versus leaders who give individual consideration? Which side of the scale do you feel is your natural place? Have you seen charismatic leaders with less than stellar work relationships?
We’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on LinkedIn or Twitter by clicking one of the boxes below the post. Be sure to use #ApproachableLeadership
