The sensitive, quiet type is not one you would normally expect to see leading organisations on a mission to the top. Rightly or wrongly we all have visions of the archetypal Alpha male or female, beating their chest and making quick decisions on the hoof.
In my experience, it is the quieter more reflective practitioners who get on and do their job, making sound considered decisions as they go, that are very often the people you want either at the head – or as a key part – of the management team. Not being a loud, shouter type of leader doesn’t make you a soft touch, and to illustrate this I am going to use a rugby analogy. Martin Johnson was arguably one of the great leaders of both England and the Lions. As I understand it, he was not a shouter or one who gave Churchillian-type team talks. He led from the front in his skilful, committed, and sometimes, ruthless way. As a result, he was respected by team mates and opponents in equal measure.
We are all leaders
We can all be leaders in our own way. You don’t have to be the Managing Director or the Chief Executive. The theory of Relational Influence is a key factor in who actually leads and directs organisations. For example, many junior members of staff or new Board directors are able to influence decisions at any level, thanks to the respect they are held in by the person [or people] actually relaying these decisions.
Lack of sensitivity often equals lack of respect
The loud mouth or the bully is rarely respected. These Alpha types can often achieve high status within organisations as a result of their bullying tactics and, as a consequence of this trait, never having been properly challenged.
Remember, these are the people at meetings who do 80% of the talking and 1% of the listening. They talk over people and raise their voices to get their message across. In actual fact, these people are never actually taken very seriously.
Because these people do so much of the talking they often become well-versed in management speak and have an inner self confidence that makes them believe in their own invincibility. They are sometimes referred to as the articulate incompetent.
Are fast decisions the best decisions?
There is a common belief that someone who makes quick decisions is a highly valuable asset. It is a regular complaint made by workforces across the land that their manager ‘never makes a decision’. As a result, the Alpha type leader will often make snap decisions, on the hoof, and see this very much as a key part of their leadership style.
I would challenge this by asking how often the making of a fast decision turns out to be the best decision? Fast decisions, by their very nature, mean that you can’t have all the information in front of you on which to base your choice.
More time than you think
In my experience, in most situations you invariably have far more time than you think. This being the case, it is not a weakness to sit back and reflect on the situation, get together all the data, and pull in others’ views and opinions. It is a matter of fact that having more information leads to better business management solutions.
I would urge us all in our leadership roles to become more sensitive to the views and opinions of others. Try to avoid making snap decisions because you believe that speed is the imperative.
Sensitive business management
Business management is as much an art as it is a science. Develop a real sensitivity, a touch and feel that leads to better decision making, and engenders a culture of mutual trust and respect. Remember being sensitive to others’ views doesn’t mean you can’t have the hard edge of a Martin Johnson.
Finally, don’t behave like a “bull in a china shop” as a proxy for enthusiasm and commitment, there are subtle and, at the same time, very obvious differences. Try some slower almost tortoise-like thinking and decision making in meetings and when planning business strategy. After all, I believe it was the tortoise that won the day.
If you have any comments on this article, or would like to explore the subject matter further and how it leads to better business management solutions, please contact me at john.thompson@transcapital.co.uk or on 0845 689 8750.
Image by: wtl photography