Leadership has changed significantly over the past few years. If it had been mostly about sales targets and results a decade or even less ago, now it’s more about motivation, empathy and bringing people together. But still keeping those sales targets in mind.
What’s been more interesting lately is that even start-ups, small family businesses and small companies hire coaches to develop their leaders. What’s more is that there are a number of employees hiring coaches on their own and not through a company to develop a specific skill or behavior necessary for a leader.
Females mostly want to develop assertive behavior. They want to have more male skills while keeping female skills. What men are after is female skills. They realized that in the world of today empathy, positive attitude towards employees regardless of circumstances, warm and friendly relationships will get them much farther than assuming a role of an unapproachable and authoritative boss.
Males simply need to get out of their grand offices and talk to their staff. Even better, getting an office among their staff. This enables you to practice MBWA (management by walking around). Don’t think that if you’ve come up with a glass door and glass windows the ceiling between you as a leader and your staff doesn’t exist. Also don’t think that if you’ve opened your door widely (glass or mahogany) and keeping it that way 24/7 this will automatically encourage people to walk in and talk to you.
It’s downright simple – get your ass up and walk around. Ask them how they are. Ask them what is it they’re doing now. Ask them how their weekend was. Develop genuine curiousness. Show them you’re hungry about their replies. And after they’ve replied instead of smiling weakly, nodding and walking away take five. Ask another question. And then another. Talk to them. Be mindful. And when you do that you might consider leaving a jacket behind, dropping your tie and unbuttoning top two buttons. Perhaps rolling up your sleeves a bit?
What about females? When you need to express your opinion in a boardroom, deliver feedback (to that pain-in-the-neck assistant who’s been after your job for a while), present in front of 200 people imagine you’re wearing a nice, silk, tailor-made suit. With pants. Or with a skirt (!!!). Imagine you’re sitting at least three meters (ca 10 feet) away from the closest person. Speak nice, easy, lower your voice slightly. Limit the number of words. Before you start look them in the eye, take two seconds and – begin. Also imagine how cool it is that it’s you and nobody else to do this. Because you can do it so much better. Smile! Be mindful!