Which is Better for a Leader, Being Lovable or Strong?

10/11/2017

Which is Better for a Leader, Being Lovable or Strong?

You can't sit around waiting for someone else to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it!
Faith Ringgold, painter, writer, quilter, sculptor

"So which is better, being lovable or being strong?" ask Amy J.C. Cuddy, Matthew Kohut and John Neffinger in a Harvard Business Review article. This is how they answer:

"Most leaders today tend to emphasize their strength, competence, and credentials in the workplace, but that is exactly the wrong approach. Leaders who project strength before establishing trust run the risk of eliciting fear, and along with it a host of dysfunctional behaviors...

"A growing body of research suggests that the way to influence – and to lead – is to begin with warmth. Warmth...facilitates trust and the communication and absorption of ideas. Even a few small nonverbal signals – a nod, a smile, an open gesture – can show people that you’re pleased to be in their company and attentive to their concerns. Prioritizing warmth helps you connect immediately with those around you, demonstrating that you hear them, understand them, and can be trusted by them."

Source: "Connect, Then Lead," by Amy J.C. Cuddy, Matthew Kohut, and John Neffinger, Harvard Business Review, Spring 2017

LAUP - Lifting Up Quality in Early Learning.

Connect 4 Learning -- Spark More Connections.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.