Relatability: The Leadership Trait Everyone Forgets

by Alexa Le

As humans, we’re most drawn to authenticity. No matter the extent to which one will go to put up a facade, we are compelled to be attracted to a genuine demeanor. We want to know that the individual we are talking to is just like us, a person with the same obstacles and feelings as ours. 

When taking on a leadership role, it’s easy for someone to get caught up in the stereotype of a leader’s behavior: assertive, demanding, and loud. In the quest for coworkers to take you seriously, you may end up overcompensating by being more assertive, more demanding, and even louder. This results in the opposite effect you perhaps hoped to achieve, with the people you were hoping to gain respect from seeing you as, simply put, a bad leader.

This is why exactly relatability is rapidly becoming a more indispensable component of leadership. In a world bereft of authenticity, a person is more likely to follow someone they can personally relate to. A relatable leader inspires others to strive to do their best through deeper attachments to others, attachments that will have much more permanent effects than yelling or constant judgment. 

But what exactly does relatability as a leader entail? Essentially, it’s simply the ability to find common ground with another person in order to put them at ease and as a result, be seen as more respected. To achieve this, the most critical aspects are open communication and empathy. Just taking the time to listen to another and showing them that you empathize with their situation makes it much easier for that person to see you as someone they can trust, and this deep-seated trust and respect will last the duration of your time as a leader. 

It’s a common misconception that being relatable is directly tied with wanting to be likable to the people you are trying to lead. You don’t need to be their best friend, but you do need to be someone that they can have an honest conversation with. It will be less likely that the workplace will be replete with secrets and procrastination when you have the emotional intelligence to allow others to be open about questions or challenges they have. In the end, there will be far fewer misunderstandings as well as a more positive environment. 

Research from CCL Innovation shows that in a study looking at leaders in 38 different countries, “empathetic emotion as rated from the leader’s subordinates positively predicts job performance ratings from the leader’s boss” (1). In fact, in countries where the citizens believe that leadership should be concentrated primarily at higher levels in the organization, empathy was more important than ever. This reflects the idea that the best leadership is one grounded in communication and compassion. However, while it’s important that you are a relatable figure to those around you, you shouldn’t allow others to undermine your authority by taking advantage of that relatability. 

Most of the time, your actions speak louder than your words. By taking the time to cultivate this relatability, it’ll be much easier to form connections and be a more effective leader.

(1) https://cclinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/empathyintheworkplace.pdf