What Followers Really Want From Leaders

See Jane Lead: 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work and in Life
by Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D.

(Page 5 of 6)

There is no shortage of books that describe the necessary qualities of successful leaders. From gurus like Warren Bennis, Peter Drucker, John Kotter, and Max De Pree, we consistently hear that successful leadership includes the ability to:

• Create a vision, align people behind it, and develop a plan for executing it.
• Communicate in a way that inspires trust and confidence.
• Motivate followers to sustain the effort required to meet organizational goals.
• Build teams that understand and value interdependence and synergy.
• Exhibit emotional intelligence.
• Take risks that will benefit the organization.
• Develop a strong network that will support goal attainment and professional success.

A close look at the list reveals that these behaviors are identical to the ones women routinely exhibit given their own socialization as nurturers, accommodators, and caretakers. It is precisely these factors that lead me to claim leadership is a woman's art. Women's survival has always depended on exhibiting the very behaviors desperately needed in society today. At the same time, most of the behaviors on the list have also been pejoratively referred to as "soft skills." Having nothing to do with command and control, they have traditionally been relegated to lower levels of importance and not perceived by many leaders to be critical success factors.

Whether it's bolstering the flagging confidence of a follower, teaching groups of people how to become teams, or simply building the kinds of relationships that mutually support both leader and follower, women eminently fit the bill. In tribal villages, families, PTAs, hospitals, schools - anyplace where taking care of the most basic, but often overlooked, needs of people is important - women are at the center of the activity. Whether by nature or nurture, women's focus has always been on ensuring the well-being of others, while concurrently being required to meet the goals inherent to their roles in the village, family, or workplace. The ability of women to understand the needs of their followers and create a means for moving organizations forward by attending to these needs cannot be underestimated. Further, women are not hampered by old paradigms that merely perpetuate the status quo. As relative newcomers to the boardroom, we possess precisely what is needed to shift from the tried, but no longer true, ways of doing things to fresh new approaches toward meeting business objectives.

One way in which I attempt to make the key concepts of leadership come alive for participants in my leadership workshops is to have them identify leaders from their own lives who brought out the best in them. I ask them to name the people who made a significant difference in their lives - teachers, parents, coaches, clergy, spouses, bosses, and friends - and then tell the group what made this person so effective. Regardless of the geographic location, the size of the organization, or the nature of the work performed by the participants, their lists nearly always include these same behaviors:

• Treated me as a human being, not just an employee.
• Believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself.
• Trusted me.
• Was interested in my well-being - not just what was best for the company.
• Went to bat for me.
• Kept his or her word.
• Stretched me by setting high expectations and giving me the tools to achieve them.
• Asked for my opinion - and listened to the answer.
• Set a good example.
• Was honest - would admit when he or she was wrong.
• Kept me well-informed.
• Didn't punish me for making mistakes, but gave me helpful feedback - both positive and negative.
• Showed enthusiasm for his or her work.
• Was firm but fair.

People report that when these characteristics are present, they exhibit uncommon commitment to the leader. Again, it's not about any particular technique or unusual skill, but rather about how people are treated by a leader and the degree to which the leader interacts with them first and foremost as human beings. Most of the items on the list are behaviors in which women engage naturally. Openly sharing information, encouraging, trusting, and so forth are all key components of the partnership style of power and interactive leadership style.

As difficult as it is for many women to acknowledge, leadership is not currently, and has never been, the exclusive domain of men. The ways women lead are different but no less valuable - as women have been led to believe. In an effort to maintain control and dominance, those who have traditionally held power have minimized our contributions; in turn, women have minimized their potential as leaders. Returning to the concept that you must be a leader for your time, I reiterate that the time is now for women leaders. If ever there was a need to bring out the best in people, create interdependent work groups, and inspire people to overcome the mediocrity that plagues products and services, that time is now - and women hold the key for doing it successfully, compassionately, and capably.

Copyright © 2007 by Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D.

About the Author

Dr. Lois P. Frankel is the president of Corporate Coaching International as well as the author of several books and numerous articles. She is internationally recognized as an expert in the field of workplace behavior. With over twenty years of experience in human resources development, she is a frequently invited guest on talk radio, television, conferences, corporate workshops, and retreats.