Week 3: Theories in Action
The theory that I am going to focus on this week is that of Charismatic leadership. There have been a lot of conversations and meetings around the topic of returning to the office this week. As of now, there is not a clear plan in order nor an exact date for the return to the 51 Madison Avenue office. Charismatic leadership is being demonstrated by the members of the Office of the CEO who are being tasked with planning and organizing the return to office.
Karen, who is one of the managing directors and who reports directly to the CEO, is a prime example of a charismatic leader. First and foremost, she is sensitive to the needs of her employees and is always identifying opportunities to remedy deficiencies and issues often times before the arise. There are so many things that need to be accounted for when discussing the return to office of hundreds of employees.
Right now we are in the vision faze of planning. Karen helps to motivate us, the team members, with her vision. She gives compelling reasons for why she believes certain ideas will work rather than just stating the idea itself. Rather than sticking to what may have worked in the past, she is willing to reinvent the wheel and take risks by thinking big with her unconventional ideas. The idea of progressing forward rather than reverting back to the old ways is one that Karen fully supports and champions in our brainstorming meetings. She is very persuasive and adds optimism to what is a very tricky matter. Karen has proven to be a very charismatic leader to her direct team, and I know as the return to office planning continues, her work and charisma will help managers and employees across New York Life Investments adapt to this new normal corporate work environment.
Antonaki’s charismatic leadership tactics include a diverse list of 12 items. Some tactics that Karen embodies include: stories and anecdotes, express group’s sentiments, set high goals, convey confidence that the goals can be achieved, animated voice and facial expressions. All of these tactics help Karen lead the Office of the CEO to reach new heights.