Bold: The Leadership Trend To Embrace In 2022

“Facing unprecedented changes, a bold leader with determination and empathy will drive the business success. However, there is a difference between being bold and being oppressive that leaders need to define,” said Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương – Deputy CEO of Talentnet. 

Bold leaders = Determined + Empathetic

In 2017, a survey from Zenger Folkman – a leadership development company analyzed more than 50,000 top leaders around the world and indicated that bold leaders land right in the most effective leaders.  Steve Jobs and his leadership style is the best practice for a bold leader. His quick, drastic decisions were most noticeable in Apple’s darkest times when their stock price crashed.

Currently, pressure from unprecedented challenges can affect businesses operation which requires leaders to be more perceptive and decisive than ever. The bold leadership style also becomes one of the necessary qualities of business leaders.

Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương – Deputy CEO of Talentnet commented: “A bold leader is described as a person who can provide quick decisions, responsive, willing to change, and able to solve problems thoroughly. And to embrace all these qualities, leaders need to cultivate empathy and critical thinking. An empathetic leader can motivate and push employees beyond their comfort zone as well as openly share their point of view. Meanwhile, critical thinking helps leaders soberly assess all possible possibilities and make the right decisions. Making decisions is like playing a gamble, if leaders keep being indecisive, success is definitely a long way to go.”

Empathy: The ‘seat bell’ for bold leaders

However, bold leaders will not take control and impose directions onto their team. This is the difference between ‘bold’ and ‘oppressive’ leaders that people might not notice. There are differences in the way of communication and behavior of these two styles of leadership toward employees. While an oppressive leader puts pressure on the workforce, a bold leader becomes a ‘motivative station’ to motivate and inspire employees to accomplish their goals. In addition, bold leaders often encourage and prioritize creativity, as long as it is suitable for the project because respect is the best way to recognize other contributions.

According to Ms. Thanh Hương, to adapt this style of leadership to business management, empathy is a prerequisite as leaders are required to understand and empower employees. If leaders make choices based upon their own ideas alone and do not listen to their team or seek input from others, employees can unintentionally feel imposed. In addition, bold leadership should also encourage employees with public rewards so that employees open up willingly to absorb the amount of knowledge they are instructed. 

“Each business operates differently, and we cannot apply the same leadership style for all. Also, we need to be careful and aware to implement a suitable leadership style. There are many different styles of leadership but I believe empathy and boldness are the solutions to challenges and difficulties. This way of leadership provides leaders with conscious decisions while responding to the rapid changes of the world as well as building an open and equal workplace for employees.” – Ms. Hương summed up.

Source: Nhip Cau Dau Tu