We’re all the same size on screen
In conversation with Amanda Sinclair, Professorial Fellow at Melbourne Business School and expert in leadership, change and diversity
As organizations adjust to new ways of working, what makes great leadership?
Amanda Sinclair is a widely published author who is recognized in academic and corporate circles as a pioneer in diversity and women in leadership. We asked her what leaders need to focus on in a hybrid environment, and what that environment means for inclusivity.
Is leadership changing as employers move to a hybrid model?
What this experience has shown us is that leaders must have ways of empowering their people. You can't watch over them or keep them under surveillance: you need to show them you trust them and care about them. And make them feel like they have a voice – that they can speak truth to power.
This all calls for a different kind of leadership. In the past, managers were rewarded for being focused on the output at any cost, rather than thinking about how to get there together with their team. That will have to change.
So what do you think is leaders’ most important characteristic now?
The thing that has emerged time and time again is the importance of trust, which has been a fascinating one to watch play out politically.
A really great example is Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's Prime Minister: she's demonstrated an extraordinary level of trust in her community and an amazing responsiveness to them. And research has also shown that the reason Denmark, for instance, has had a high compliance rate with Covid-19 restrictions is trust in the government.
In the workplace, the question that's come up for many employees is, are we trusted to work at home? Leaders need to be able to show that they are.
Do you think leaders already have the skills to cope with this new working environment, or do they need to up-skill?
The whole portfolio of important leadership skills has changed radically.
What is crucial now is the capacity to be present, as opposed to just focusing on future goals. I think that that's now become a bit of a liability, because it's been impossible to plan.
So leaders need to have much better ways of tracking the changing experiences of their customers and employees, and then be very responsive to them. It’s about listening and flexibility.
The other area that leaders will need to be attuned to is equality as there’s a real risk that hybrid models might intensify power differences. Ensuring everyone has a voice and an opportunity to contribute – regardless of their physical location – will be a critical skill moving forward.
You specialize in diversity in leadership. Do you think hybrid working offers any opportunities to accelerate inclusivity?
It’s been fascinating to watch the rise of people who don't normally think of themselves as leaders – such as health community managers and scientists.
Historically, we've had this notion of the tall male heroic leader, which can be a seductive model for many of us – especially in a crisis. But the leaders who have stepped forward over the past 18 months have often not fitted that mold. I hope we’ve all expanded our ideas of leadership.
Evidence also shows that some women and people from diverse cultural backgrounds have felt more comfortable participating while at home. I know that in my work, a virtual classroom often feels more ‘equal’ than a physical classroom: we're all the same size on screen. You don't have that same sense of physical dominance that can sometimes get in the way of open, authentic interaction.
With skillful management, those benefits can continue as companies move to hybrid models. And that's a wonderful thing – that this might enable more inclusivity and the democratization of teams.
Do you have what it takes to respond to the evolving needs of your workforce?
This article is part of Sodexo’s ‘Experience Next’ thought leadership series on the work-life transformation.
