‘Demeanour’ is the way an individual behaves in an organisation – it motivates and empowers staff to above-average performance.
Frequency – never-ending!
Key participants – all staff.
Leadership rating *****
The personal spark called leadership is frequently the difference between average and great performance. The key here is not simply what the leader should do, but what their team wants from them. This is demeanour – the way the leader behaves, day in, day out, across a range of issues and details.
Make no mistake, in any team, in any organisation, the leader is watched every step of the way and all actions are interpreted – separately and cumulatively – as statements of intent about the team or the organisation itself. Often without realising it, through demeanour the leader will be sending signals about the organisation every bit as relevant as any mission, vision, set of values, business plan or objectives – and often more closely observed.
It’s pretty obvious, but most staff know when they are in the presence of a leader rather than just a manager, and perhaps less obviously, in my judgement, they prefer it that way. There is no straightforward, concise definition of a leader, except we all tend to know when we are in the presence of one, and there’s certainly more to it than the now-aged assumption that it’s about doing things right rather than doing the right things. It’s not simply about issuing orders, being liked or, contrastingly, making difficult and unpopular decisions – though it may be about all of these! It is also not about hierarchy or the trappings of hierarchy – leadership is a characteristic that can be demonstrated in any role, in any function and at any time.
You must be aware that your demeanour – the way you are seen to behave – is a hidden but essential part of maximising your performance.
Why do I say that organisations and staff crave this leadership demeanour? Most employees develop a bond with their organisations and teams which becomes close to dependency. Within that relationship they need a compass to manage their sense of followership. No one who commits at least one-third of their day to an organisation is likely to want to feel that it is in vain, that there is no guiding purpose. And that purpose needs embodiment at all levels in leaders – as expressed through their demeanour.
At this point two questions can be asked.
This is a huge behavioural subject outside this book’s scope. Suffice it to say that while some people are born with natural leadership behaviours, there is no doubt that learned experience can contribute to a leader’s demeanour and effectiveness.
What you should do in this regard is to know the importance of learning – and to learn from your own experience and by watching others.
Being a ‘manager’ is a label many have desired in the workplace, and one which implies a degree of success. Often it means we take on responsibility for other people, a team, the team’s activities, budgets and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), as well as for the corporate glare on that team’s performance. It may also be a step-up associated with improvements in salary and benefits. Labels in work are extremely important and we should never underestimate the prestige associated with progress along the manager–director route.
Equally nor should we ever underestimate the importance of ‘management’ in delivering performance. No organisation succeeds without attention to customers, innovation, process, delivery and its staff. Management has the most significant role in making these things happen. Most managers will succeed if they achieve three objectives – the deliverables of their team must be clear, the processes for delivery must be tried, tested and retested, and they must have the right people in the right jobs.
The challenge to effective leadership demeanour is an excessive reliance on management rather than leadership behaviours. You must learn how management differs from leadership.
Managers | Leaders | ||
• | Follow rules | • | Follow instincts |
• | Focus on getting things done | • | Focus on getting the right things done |
• | Side with safety | • | Side with risk |
• | Focus on delivering today | • | Focus on articulating tomorrow |
You meet this challenge by recognising that:
Does this mean that as a leader you are an actor? No, emphatically it does not, because phoniness is always rumbled – but it does mean that, like an actor, you should be aware of the impact of your words and actions.
So what are the key aspects of leadership demeanour that teams look for?
One of the most significant risks to any leader is a lack of awareness of their impact on colleagues. Most critically your demeanour will be undermined by:
A leader has to stand out from the crowd. You won’t if you are aloof, inconsistent and unreliable. At its worst, this potential masking of leadership creates a vacuum along with uncertainty and a lack of direction.