Leader/Follower relationships at Northmarq Capital

The leader/follower culture and relationship has been a key talking point for new hires at Northmarq. During our training process, all interns have had mandatory meetings so we could talk with high-level executives. This gave us an opportunity to learn about what role they serve, their perspective of the company as well as giving us the opportunity to ask them questions. This past week I met with the CEO of Northmarq in person when was in the Minneapolis office for 45 minutes. The fact that the CEO is willing to take time to meet with the interns shows the kind of value they place on internal relationships within the company. Beyond this display of high-level leaders wanting to form relationships with low-level employees, there is a similar amount of effort on a more localized level within my particular department.

Within my department, there are five managers who each oversee 5-8 analysts underneath them. Those five managers then all report to one department lead who has consistent contact with each analyst as well. During my most recent mentor meeting with my manager, we discussed the flexibility that is given to each manager for how they wish to lead their respective teams. He explained that Northmarq gives each manager the ability to customize the way they lead their team of analysts in order to be most effective. Based on personality type and work style direction of leadership will change from being hands-on and procedural or more laissez-faire and supportive when needed. Within my department, there appears to be no single leadership style that is dominant and must be adhered to. I think this flexibility and trust given to the leaders results in a greater ability for a relationship to be built between managers and analysts. When Covid began and my department went virtual, my manager said he had individual conversations with each analyst to see what type of virtual communication would be preferred by each. Just like in-person communication, each individual will respond better to different uses of technological communication, whether it be via email, phone call, or video call. Understanding the need to address this as well as issues that occur as a result of going virtual is imperative to maintaining positive leader-follower relationships. I am interested to see how these relationships may have to be adjusted as more and more people begin to work more consistently in person. (As of now most work in-office 2/3 days a week). Will being virtual over the last year have weakened relationships when they return in person or will preference in how individuals want to be led have changed by adapting to new methods?