Get To Know Them

Today the company I work for conducted the third installment of a meet and greet with the FLT (Finance Leadership Team). It is an opportunity for everyone in finance to meet four members of the FLT. We find out personal information and their perspective on things like work and life balance, stress and college degrees. It is an interesting and fun concept. It got me thinking about leaders and learning about leaders.

If you are a leader is it important for those who follow you to know about you? Do you think you are a more effective leader if followers have some personal information about you? I think you can be a much better leader if you let those around you in on your personal life. Why do I think this?

If people don’t perceive that the leader is above them and they see a human side to the leader they are more apt to believe them and buy into their vision. I’d rather follow someone who is like me and human then to follow someone who perceives themselves to be above those followers. Leaders lead because people trust them and like them, leaders don’t lead who look down on those around them.

Every company should institute a meet and greet of their leaders. Have social time so those in the company also will have an opportunity to mingle and speak personally with them. Who knows you might find out that the CEO has the same interest as you do. My daughter is a competitive swimmer and last year at a meet I saw our CFO didn’t know he had a child in competitive swimming but now if I get an opportunity I have a connection.