1. No category

A DISCUSSION OF K EY MANAGEMENT ISSUES
VOLUME 25 NUMBER 4
THE INTANGIBLES OF LEADERSHIP: IMPACT
W
hat is it about certain people that cause us to catch our breath and think, “Wow!”
when they leave the room? Their presence seems to linger, along with an almost palpable aura of maturity and self awareness. This sense of underlying strength can be
found in all great leaders. Individuals who cultivate it (few are born with it) have a solid impact
on their teams, board members, customers and shareholders.
For his new book, “The Intangibles of Leadership,” Dr. Richard
conversation unfold and then create a strong impression by being the
Davis set out to uncover patterns in the attributes that truly distin-
one who pulls together the main discussion points. Be clear about
guish those who succeed at the top levels. What he found was that
what you know and be confident in that knowledge.
extraordinary leaders possess certain characteristics that fall between
the lines of existing leadership models, yet are fundamental to executive success.
Understanding and developing the intangibles that create impact can
make you a stronger leader and have a tangible effect on the success
of your business.
Words are important. You must be able to articulate your thoughts
clearly and sound compelling. Read something every day – whether
it’s the newspaper or Tolstoy. Try to surround yourself with people
who speak well. Your vocabulary will improve by osmosis.
If you want others to pay attention to you, you need to pay attention to yourself. After meetings, conduct an after-action review of
PRESENCE People with presence are not easily forgotten. It isn’t
your own participation and performance. In retrospect, does it feel
simply because they have power; it’s because they know how to use
like your contribution was seen as effective? Did it seem to garner
it. As a leader, understanding the impact of your presence is crucial to
positive reactions? Why or why not?
running a successful team. If you aren’t aware of how you carry yourself, you run the risk of accidentally alienating people instead of rallying them. But if you make a conscious effort to understand the nature
of your own presence and its effect on others, you can maximize your
leadership potential.
EXECUTIVE MATURITY While self-insight requires looking inward
to determine your strengths and weaknesses, executive maturity is
about discovering and regulating your emotions. An awareness
of your emotional patterns and triggers, and the ability to manage
those feelings, are paramount to fully formed leadership. Many busi-
Presence begins the instant you step into a room. Shape those first
ness leaders have similar skills, backgrounds and acumen, but only a
moments. Look people in the eye and offer a firm handshake. Let the
remarkable few are masters of their emotions.
RHR INTERNATIONAL
WE SEE WHAT OTHERS DON’T.
TH E I N TA NGI BLES OF LEA DERSH I P: I M PACT
PAGE 2
Revealing your weaknesses does not mean putting yourself in a
weak position. Just acknowledge the things you’re good at and the
things you aren’t. On a more concrete level, make it very clear to
Executive maturity depends on your ability to recognize not only your
own signals about how you are really feeling, but also those emitted by others. See if you can spot subtle hints in your team. Use this
knowledge to detect cues you give off yourself, and then adjust
your behavior accordingly. Be realistic. Don’t fool yourself.
Do you have trusted advisors you can talk with and share your feelings? If necessary, look outside the organization. Include people
who have training and experience in understanding and re-framing
emotions, and make sure they are individuals you can trust to give you
honest feedback, no matter how difficult it may be to hear.
Remember that feedback is a gift. You need to respect that and do
people that, even if you’re at the top position, you’re still committed
to learning, growing and improving.
THE BOTTOM LINE To make the greatest impact, remember:
• Think, act and speak like the executive you want to be.
• Master your emotional reactions, and use them to influence
others.
• Don’t try to be perfect. Influence others by showing that you don’t
have all the answers.
In the final article in this series, we will look at the intangible drivers
of Will, Fortitude and Self-efficacy.
something positive with it. Categorize the feedback into three groupings: 1) what people want you to start doing; 2) what people want you
to stop doing; and 3) what people want you to continue doing. Then,
come up with just a few action steps that target each area identified.
ABOUT RHR INTERNATIONAL
RHR International is a firm of management psychologists and consultants who work closely with top management to accelerate individual,
FALLIBILITY Let’s be clear on this point: People aren’t looking for
team and business performance. We focus on five key areas of client
their leaders to be ineffectual or uncertain, but they do want to see a
need — CEO Succession, Executive Selection and Integration, Acceler-
willingness to take risks and fail. Leaders who regularly share with
ated Executive Effectiveness, Senior Team Effectiveness, and Manage-
their teams, invite others’ views and (especially) admit when they are
ment Due Diligence. We have been proven difference-makers for more
wrong, are perceived more favorably.
than 65 years, unique in our combination of top management focus,
A very important part of being fallible is being, simply enough, real.
psychologists’ perspective and high-level business acumen.
Let people in. Show them a bit of the real you. It will make an enormous difference in the way they trust and invest in you.
How do you convey that you aren’t perfect? The best way is by inviting input from others. Show that you are eager to learn by asking
their perspectives on key decisions and then really listening to what
they have to say. One of the biggest errors leaders commit is the
amount of talking they do, compared with how much listening. Compulsive talking conveys that you believe what you (and only you) have
to say is of paramount importance; active listening demonstrates to
others that you value their contributions.
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