Silent Leadership, The Direction That Starts From Humility And Empathy
Silent leadership is gaining ground in a scenario inhabited, until recently, by managerial and even authoritarian figures. Gone, therefore, would be the bosses accustomed to giving orders, to setting a single work dynamic. The classic “iron hand” that defined figures like Henry Ford or Steve Jobs in the past, is set aside to allow entry to other figures with different philosophies.
The fact that it is necessary to reformulate the figure of current leaders is determined by the crisis that surrounds us. In a scenario full of uncertainty and instability, another type of management is needed to instill confidence. Furthermore, managers and bosses who define themselves by this silent tendency integrate very high qualities into them, those with which to inspire others.
High-pressure, free-wheeling, and inflexibility tactics are dying out in organizations. You need to instill enthusiasm, not fear. More humble and less narcissistic leaders are necessary for projects to advance, so that work teams feel comfortable and united in the same goal, in the same goal.
Let us therefore delve into this new trend.
Silent leadership versus the vertical and authoritarian leader
A silent leader is not shy or withdrawn or an invisible figure within the organization itself. What defines these people is their way of behaving and acting in a work environment.
As we pointed out at the beginning, it is necessary to reformulate the leadership that we have had so far because it has not always been as effective as we thought.
The failures of many companies are caused by the personality of those entities in senior management. Until not long ago, promotions were carried out for traits such as extroversion, charisma, high pressure tactics, dominance. .. However, the classic model of vertical and authoritarian leadership has only caused losses at all levels:
- The authoritarian leader inoculates the company with chronic stress and dissatisfaction.
- It also prevents the development of employees, human capital is diluted and work teams cannot demonstrate their potential due to lack of autonomy.
Now, with the advent of silent leadership this changes. The work climate that favors the “silent” senior position is based on trust and empathy. It is to see in the worker the best ally to achieve the highest results.
What characteristics define these leaders?
The secret to a successful leader is having committed followers. That is, every manager or senior position who wants to go far in his project, must have people who believe in it. And this, let’s face it, is not easy to achieve.
Let us now understand what characteristics define them.
Committed to people and to a project
The good leader doesn’t just have a series of short-term and long-term business goals in mind. These people at the top of the organization know that without employees and work teams none of these aspirations are possible.
Therefore, the first dimension that defines silent leadership is the commitment to human capital. He knows that investing in people is what makes the difference in any company. Creating respectful, innovative and nurturing environments in terms of stimulation, incentives and respect is what allows them to go far.
Silent leadership delegates because it trusts
Delegating responsibilities is one of the most basic pillars in any work environment. It is not only an act of recognition on the part of the leader. It is also a priority strategy with which to place trust in all the teams in the organization to be competitive, recognizing the unique potential of each employee.
In this way, the leader will always be that figure who does not need to be present in every step, in every decision. Delegating is placing responsibilities on the shoulders of others because you already know that your workers are capable of doing great things.
Senior positions that apply humility and empathy
From the University of Woodbury (California), studies such as those carried out by doctors Svetlana Holt and Joan Marques remind us of the effects that figures such as “corporate psychopaths” have had and that the psychologist Robert Hare defined in his day as a form of violence business.
The “iron hand” strategy and authoritarianism invalidate the productivity and well-being of all the human capital of a company.
Instead, empathy and humility can change the current paradigm and this is something that needs to be pushed. Silent leadership integrates these two dimensions and applies them to your environment on a day-to-day basis.
Calm and reflection amid the chaos
At present, any leader who is not used to situations of uncertainty, crisis and even chaos, has not yet matured in the business world. Silent leadership is defined as being like bamboo in the midst of a storm: face them, adapt, and grow with them.
It does so from the silence of someone who knows how to observe reflectively, from the mind that has learned to manage emotions to allow itself to act in a resilient way. That position and that attitude in the face of difficulties is a source of inspiration for the entire organization.
Silent revolutions have already triumphed in the past
We have become used to an outgoing type of leadership that is not comfortable for all of us. However, history is full of figures who, from their most discreet and even silent position, managed to change the world. In this way, personalities such as Gandhi, Rosa Parks or Bill Gates, fit perfectly into this profile.
They are identities that fall within that very defining introversion of silent leadership. They are men and women who do not make excessive noise, but who nevertheless leave their mark and inspire us. That is the key.
