What kind of leader are you? Do you bulldoze your way through opposition and impose your will with an iron fist? Or do you take the time to listen more and talk less as you build a business where your staff feel they have a voice and are valued?
In a world where brash and aggressive leaders like ex-reality TV star and businessman Donald Trump seem to get rewarded (yes, he is President of the most powerful country), you would be forgiven for believing that only those who take what they want by whatever means necessary are favoured by fortune. This belief has been reinforced by the explosion of social media over the past 13 years. Twitter, for example, has helped raise the profiles of those who shout the loudest to dizzying heights. The result is that people learn some terrible habits. Instead of listening to others, they merely wait for their chance to “speak at” people and impose their will on them. They stop treating others with respect thinking only those who bark orders get the job done.
That is not to say the more assertive male or female has no redeeming qualities. In the business environment, they are good at making decisions quickly and often are able to see the bigger picture. Also having someone at the helm who will go where angels fear to tread can pay off handsomely. However, the negative traits of these types of leaders can sometimes outweigh the good. They sometimes have a tendency to devolve into dictators who forget their humanity. This can be dangerous.
Explaining the negative traits of an alpha leader, Manfred Kets de Vries, a professor of leadership development and organisational change at Insead Business School, wrote in March 2016 in ‘Knowledge Instead’ that “as pressures increase, an alpha’s leadership style can move from constructive and challenging to one of intimidation and even abuse. In many instances, people working for alpha male leaders suffer from low morale, high absenteeism, high levels of stress and burnout. Not surprisingly, given their dysfunctional behaviour, companies run by destructive alphas can easily go down the drain.”
Although this applies specifically to men, the same can be said of certain female business leaders.
In many instances, people working for alpha male leaders suffer from low morale, high absenteeism, high levels of stress and burnout.
While the alpha-type leader may experience short-term success through ruthless behaviour, over the long term it will be increasingly difficult to get buy-in from your employees as you will never have the loyalty of people who fear you. Also if people fear you, they will also be less likely to give any input – some of which could be invaluable. Increasingly you could find yourself in a bubble, completely out of touch with reality.
A good example of a leader who is approachable and is known to be good listener is Sir Richard Branson. The rebel businessman told interviewer Dan Schawbel in an interview in Forbes in 2014 that his leadership style was the “rule-breaker” because he “never learned the rules in the first place”. In the same interview he also said he looks for a “wonderful personality” in prospective leaders for his own organisation instead of just the achievements listed on the CV. One of the UK’s richest citizens, Branson has proven you can get to the top and run a successful business while still retaining the human touch.
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During the 1980s CEOs were encouraged to go on Dale Carnegie courses and many religiously read his 1936 bestseller How to Win Friends and Influence People. He is well-known for suggesting that “a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall”.
Perhaps it’s time for certain business leaders to dust off their copies of this masterpiece and start applying some of his lessons.