They say that opposites attract. In the school science lab, with couple of magnets and a pile of iron filings, it is easy to observe, but in the real world (social and corporate) there are no hard and fast laws to govern why we are drawn to certain people.
In the workplace, few of us are afforded the luxury of choosing our colleagues and we certainly rarely have a choice as to our managers. Why, therefore, is magnetism such an important dynamic in a corporate setting? Work is about turning up and doing a job – that is perfectly possible to do without being enamoured with your boss. Do many of us even like our boss?
Yet, magnetic leaders do exist, and they are immediately noticeable.
An expectant hush descends of the meeting when they start to speak. Their influence extends far beyond their department, and they always seem to know someone who can help make something happen. They are cc’d in more emails than most, and not because of formality – people actually want to solicit their opinions. Direct reports would walk on hot coals for them, and members of other teams wish they were doing it themselves.
They have that desirable ability to make friends and influence people.
I find that most relationships are fine with a bit of hard work and trust, but I wouldn’t necessarily call myself magnetic. I think that most of us would think the same about ourselves, although I’m sure that we would all love to be one of those people who seem to be at the hub of anything that is worthwhile.
Management magnetism is often seen as a mystery.
Just as magnetism defies description by science students at school, the mystery of magnetic interpersonal skills is equally as elusive. The chemistry of relationships is naturally complicated, but I would like to highlight just one shared trait of magnetic leaders the world over:
They give far more than they take.
You put yourself in someone’s orbit in the knowledge that they will do all they can to help you. You listen to them because you know that they have listened to many more people themselves. You don’t think twice about doing a task for them – they will have thought about your best interest before they asked. They make time for anyone and everyone, yet they still make you feel like your individual needs come first.
Creating something out of nothing lies at the heart of many a mystery. Magnetic leaders choose to give, give, give and in turn they attract a wide range of people from all sorts of backgrounds. It even gets to the point where a crowd mentality kicks in, and there is that indescribable “feel good factor” about being around them. Who are the magnetic people in your business? Is “giving” to others an important part of who they are? Maybe that is at least one small part of the mystery.