The future will belong to leaders who increase the share of heart in people's hearts...
In recent days, many concepts such as positive thinking, hope, love, feeling belonging, empathy, etc. have started to take more place in our daily lives. Because human beings, who are social beings, have realized that happiness and success lie in the synergy that will arise from the common power that comes to life with a positive perspective.
Today's people, who do not want to be governed by a chain of command, want to be more decision-makers, especially in the society they live in, and to be listened to more than ever before. For this reason, it is important for them to have more interaction with the leader of the society in which they live in order to freely express their thoughts, put forward their ideas and be part of the management both in the environment they work and in the country they live in.
For these reasons, it is now more and more important for the leaders of companies and countries to listen to people's opinions and win their hearts. A smile, a sincere greeting or a few words with a friendly look have a great impact on people. In a new era where emotions are at the forefront, the more leaders focus on love, positive thinking and hope, and the more they listen to others, the more successful they will be. Leaders who nurture these concepts will create trust, a sense of belonging, happiness and commitment, and will have an impact on their audiences. Leaders who recognize their emotions, empathize, communicate face-to-face without looking down, give positive and warm messages to the society, show a sympathetic and caring approach and listen to others will stand out.
The issues that leaders need to pay attention to in order to be successful;
Being reliable and transparent
It is not possible to trust a person if what they say and what they do are inconsistent. In order to be trustworthy, it is necessary to be consistent, honest and to touch the heart of the other person. Therefore, it is very important for leaders to be able to establish an emotional connection with the people they interact with and to express themselves sincerely.
Developing emotional intelligence
People with high emotional intelligence are perceived as more respected by society. Leaders with this characteristic stand out with their social skills such as empathizing with others, motivating themselves and others, being prone to teamwork, solving problems with their personal skills, positive outlook and hope for the future, and are more liked by people.
Acting responsibly towards the environment and society
To be trustworthy, it is also important to act responsibly. Therefore, leaders should act ethically, transparently and fairly, and not be insensitive to the problems of society and the world.
Giving importance to reputation
Many people focus on short-term gains. However, personal reputation is built on the behaviors and attitudes that a person exhibits for many years. In the short term, the leader's adoption of unrealistic, tokenistic attitudes and behaviors damages his/her reputation. Reputation is hard to gain, but just as easy to lose. For this reason, leaders' behaviors that do not have an infrastructure, that are not continuous, long-term and consistent are not enough to ensure reputation.
Managing personal reputation in the digital environment
Leaders need to share information in the digital environment, and in doing so, they need to calculate how every step they take will be returned to them. Especially on social media, it is necessary to avoid comments that may offend certain audiences. The difference between the digital environment and real life is its permanence... Statements made in daily life and wrongdoings may not always be revealed, but they will not disappear in the digital world. Therefore, leaders should be careful about the steps they take in this environment and seek professional help if necessary.
Receiving feedback
It is important what is said about the leader, both in real life and digital platforms. It is extremely important for the leader to manage his/her personal reputation by constantly monitoring these and taking precautions if there is a negative situation. Even if he/she cannot do this himself/herself, his/her team should follow up on his/her behalf and report to him/her.
Taking criticism seriously and learning from mistakes
When a leader is criticized, he/she should first listen to the criticism before becoming defensive and then convey his/her own thoughts to the other person. If a criticism or comment is made against the leader, especially in the digital environment, it should be responded to in as soft a language as possible without delay, and never get into an argument with anyone in this environment. If the leader is really wrong, he/she should apologize and take the necessary measures to avoid repeating the mistake.
To follow developments in the world
The leader must keep abreast of the agenda and developments in his/her work and in the world in general, and align himself/herself accordingly. A leader's intellectual knowledge and a broad vision of events increases trust towards him/her.
Perception management
The leader should be in harmony with the values and culture of the target audience. He/she should appeal to emotions rather than thoughts and use a communication language in line with the values of the people he/she is addressing. In addition, the leader should receive regular feedback from his/her audience on how they perceive him/her and manage his/her personal perception accordingly.
As a result, the future will belong to sincere, humane, reliable, visionary leaders who care about their personal reputation and perception, focus on positive thinking. Leaders who create a positive synergy with their employees and the public and operate by creating a chain of love will achieve success. Appealing to emotions and focusing on positivity will carry more and more meaning every day from now on. Leaders who manage communication processes with open and transparent communication, positive thinking and a "People First" approach will make a difference compared to prescriptive and oppressive leaders. Leaders will be sought after and preferred to the extent that they appeal to the hearts in their messages to the target audiences they want to reach.
In short, the future will belong to leaders who increase the share of heart in people's hearts. And thus, "Everything will be beautiful"...
Dilek CESUR
Yeşim Group Corporate Communications Director
