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I was recently contacted by a CEO of a very successful, privately held company. She was interested in rolling out my sales training course to her employees.
I was interested in learning more about her, so I asked her questions about her management style, what she was trying to achieve with my course and similar issues. I also asked what legacy she wanted to be remembered for at her company.
She paused and then said, “I want my employees to know how much I cared about them and appreciated their contributions to our success.”
In my conversation with her, it was clear she had high emotional intelligence and a keen sense of empathy. I have no doubt that she is a great leader.
At the other end of the spectrum
At the other end of the spectrum is Vishal Garg, who unceremoniously fired 900 employees of a mortgage company, Better.com, during a brief, pre-Christmas Zoom call. Garg was its CEO.
After the predictable outcry, Garg issued an apology in an effort to quell a PR nightmare.
Several high-profile executives resigned, including the company’s head of communications and head of marketing.
The board of directors issued an e-mail advising employees that Garg was “taking time off effective immediately.”
His management style should have been well known to the board prior to this incident. He had previously referred to his employees as “dumb dolphins.” He threatened to set a former business partner on fire. He referred to one investor as “sewage.”
Based on this history, one can conclude that Garg has anger-management issues, low emotional intelligence and an appalling lack of empathy.
Power corrupts
Garg’s conduct might be inexplicable if you didn’t understand the tendency of power to corrupt the mind.
There’s evidence that powerful people view others as less powerful and more insignificant.
In a series of experiments, people made to feel powerful judged others to be shorter than they were.
Powerful people tend not to consider the perspective of others. For example, when asked to draw an “E” on their foreheads, powerful people were more likely to draw it so that it looked correct to them and backwards to others.
Powerful people tend to act more quickly, downplay risks and have higher levels of testosterone than others. They also may have a higher sense of entitlement and less accountability.
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If Garg had known about these studies and been more self-aware, his conduct might have been different.
Takeaway for advisors
As an advisor, you have power over your clients and your staff. Both rely on you for guidance and advice.
Your leadership skills can emulate those of the woman who contacted me (high self-awareness, social conscience, high emotional intelligence, empathetic) or Garg.
It is an easy decision.
Dan trains executives and employees in the lessons based on the research on his latest book, Ask: How to Relate to Anyone. His online course, Ask: Increase Your Sales. Deepen Your Relationships, is currently available.
Read more articles by Dan Solin
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
