Flex– Part 2: Becoming a Fluent Leader

Guest Post for The Inclusion Solution

Fluent Leader (n.) – An individual who investigates the differences between his/her position and those of his/her team members. This leader does not require others to adapt to his/her style, but adapts his/her own style in order to meet team members partway to bridge the distance.  (Source: Flex/The New Playbook for Managing Across Differences, HarperBusiness 2014)

So you’re ready to manage across differences. When you start to question your “default mode”of interacting with people who are different from you, you start to get more comfortable with the idea of stretching and adapting your approach and style.  Perhaps, you may even feel ready to exercise new styles in order to better interact with your co-workers. Take a look at some traits of fluent leaders who are effective at flexing across the power gap.  (Analyzed from interviews with 100+ leaders across a variety of industries.)