In order to be successful over the long term, business leaders must learn to size up and evaluate as accurately as possible the people they meet. Research by behavioral scientists suggests that when we judge people, we look for two things: strength and warmth. These two traits represent 90% of the variance in the positive and negative impressions we form of other people.
As reported in the July-August 2013 Harvard Business Review article ‘Connect, Then Lead’: ‘These assessments underlie our emotional and behavioral reactions to other people because they answer two critical questions: What are this person’s intentions toward me? And, is he or she capable of acting on those intentions?’
Which Comes First: Warmth or Strength?
I believe that warmth comes first. I have long defined leadership as the ability to influence other people — and one’s ability to influence people is a function of the quality of the relationships we have with them. An old saying comes to mind: ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’
I am often called upon to coach senior executives who are moving up in their organizations but have reached a place where their leaders recognize they need to grow their skills. These clients are usually very bright with superior technical abilities. In almost every instance, the focus of our coaching work is around helping the senior executive become warmer, more engaging and more relational.
You might find it valuable to start using the lenses of warmth and strength when looking at the people around you. Do you like the person? Are they engaging and do they listen well? Are they direct? Do they make eye contact? And — worth thinking about — how do your own people see you? A 360 profile would likely help answer that question.