How to be a bold leader without appearing arrogant
Arrogance is a trait that has long been synonymous with senior leadership positions; the cliché of a CEO speeding into the office in a sports car, wearing designer clothes and accessories, and interrupting processes with their ‘insight’ may be an outdated view of those in senior positions.
Yet all leaders must remain aware that their position of power does impact the way that their staff views them; some still believe leaders to be egotistical as a rule.
However, this puts leaders in something of a bind. Is the solution to upholding an amenable persona within the workplace to simply step back and present yourself as meek and unopinionated? This way only leads to a crisis of direction.
So how can leaders promote themselves within the workplace, without coming across as arrogant?
Today there are fewer hours for getting visibility and attention,” Meredith Fineman, Author of Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self-Promotion recently told Fast Company. “Many of us don’t have a vocabulary to talk positively about our professional accomplishments. Often, our role models aren’t good ones. We don’t want to emulate or learn from these blowhards.”
“Take stock in what you’re putting out there and lay a solid foundation with repetition and consistency,” she says. “Nobody will know what you’re doing unless you tell them.”
Fineman stated that being a bold and outspoken leader often comes down to three key pillars: ‘proud, loud, and strategic’. “Being proud is most difficult for some people,” she said. “Acknowledge what you’ve done and been proud of it.”
This means acknowledging when things have gone successfully and evidencing your ability to lead in the right direction when others challenge you. Leadership credentials are nothing if not a history of right decisions.
Loud is similarly important in this regard. It doesn’t mean talking over others or ensuring that you drown out the voices of those around you, it means being able to command attention when needed, and holding the respect of those around you.
This is rooted in ensuring that what you say is valuable. Leaders who send constant mixed signals, or who announce anything that comes to mind aren’t listened to. Leaders who only announce what they have to say when it’s important or useful to others are often revered.
“You have to be explicit. People can’t infer things when we’re all behind screens. You have to tell them who you are and what you want,” said Fineman.
Again, this is tightly interlinked with strategy. The roadmap – what is it? How can you people follow it? Are you ensuring that all staff is united in their direction? Without a strategy to stick to, your voice will be an inconsistent jumble of information. Stick tightly to the parameters that you’ve laid out for yourself, and before any changes occur, explain to your people explicitly what they are and why they’ve happened. This, according to Fineman, is the true trick to commanding the respect from others, whilst being an outspoken public leader.
By: Kieran Howells
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