They're Watching You

I often mention in workshops for new supervisors, "You are the bird and your employees are the birdwatchers. They study you. They catch those off-hand remarks. They notice which people are favored with invitations to lunch and who doesn't get as much one-on-one time. They measure your moods. And often, they completely misread you."

In short, leaders are on a stage and it is important for them to keep that in mind. Indeed, I've never known an effective leader who wasn't an actor. We trot off to public speaking classes when in many cases we'd be better served by learning the basics of drama. A few essential elements would be:

• The ability to keep a straight face.
• An instinctive understanding of when to throw out the rule book.
• A catalogue of dramatic gestures.
• Dressing the part.
• Body language.
• The power of silence.
• The use of a conversational tone to explain powerful truths.

But, as Spencer Tracy once said of acting, "Never let them catch you doing it."