Do you need a lesson?

 

I’ve been in many boardrooms or executive meetings in the past.  I always find it interesting to see the dynamics at play.  People jockey for positions nearer the CEO, or sometimes nearer the corner, depending upon their level of comfort.  Some will remove suit jackets while others adjust their ties. And then there is the posture of the CEO.  If he is tall – and statistics show that it is almost always a ‘he’ and he is almost always over 6’ tall - he simply stands to look down at those around the table.  If he is shorter, he will plant his feet wider than this shoulders and invariably cross his arms.

We are seeing body language in its’ purest form; the deliberate intent to intimidate and control without saying a word.  It has been this way for decades and is a remnant of the old ‘commander in chief’ style of management.

But changes are afoot.  Not only are genders changing but so too are skin colours and ethnicities.  Obviously the changes are too slow and late in happening, but they are coming and this means that many of the white males at the table need to go back to school for an executive lesson in the new ways of unspoken communication.

Women clearly lead in a different manner. But equally true are the cultural differences brought by the new faces at the table that represent cultures newer to the west. These groups do not come with the same agendas that often dominated in the past.  And many times these people have had to fight through the prejudices of these agendas and thus have a different perspective that needs to be heard.

To lead in today’s boardroom you must understand and appreciate and accept that yesterday’s language simply doesn’t work.  Those who persist in this antiquated style are generally hiding personal incompetence’s and/or fears and do more harm than good in advancing a company’s objectives.

Sometimes it is simply a matter of ignorance.  In those cases, education is remedy.  More often it is a matter of arrogance, and there is little that education can do in those situations.

Regardless, it is the responsibility of the leader to change; not the style or expectations of those new to the table.  Take a hard look in the mirror and decide what you need to do to remain effective and relevant. Help is there for the willing.  The door is there for the reluctant.