How Latin American leaders behave in organizations?

Recently I was doing a research for one of our clients, and found some interesting facts around the type of leaderships we find in the world and specifically our Latin American region.

Below some findings and the entire article link from Spencer Stuart.

Spencer Stuart consultancy did a mapping of findings from other studies to their model identified four styles as more significantly present in Latin American leaders.

First, most studies point toward a Caring style, which emphasizes being warm, sincere, and relational. In general, the Latin America cluster’s culture is highly group- and family-oriented. Leaders in the region are described as charismatic,?engaging/likable, team-oriented, collaborative6?and oriented to relationships?(interpersonal).

Generally, society disapproves of leaders who act alone and autonomously, and leaders are expected to develop social bonds with employees.

Caring Relationships and Communication

Latin American leaders believe that getting along and being close to people is a foundation for success. Related to humility, the orientation toward relationships helps to open doors to different audiences, while caring, bonding and communicating with them are crucial. They believe that working side by side with their teams and being “sleeves up” allows them to know firsthand when to intervene and support.

Many of the leaders said they have worked at different levels of their organizations and know the operation well. They have built a good perspective on how people work throughout the organizational ladder. Aware that being at the top can alienate them from the day-to-day operations, some have created personal routines to keep in touch with people across different functions and levels. Being visible across the business is a way to let people know they support and are accountable for them.

During crises, people’s well-being comes first, then come outcomes in a natural way. Working together, side by side, and consistently showing up and being present is a way for leaders to inspire. The majority of the leaders we interviewed reported that it is important to support people and let them know that they are there for them. They aim to provide a sense of comfort and protection through constant personal interactions, which is a preferred approach.

When times are difficult, leaders know they must rely far more on formal communications processes. Thus, they deliberately send personal messages to the company. Tightening relationships becomes more relevant under these circumstances. Thus, they increase the number and frequency of their communications. According to the interviewees, there is no such thing as “over-communication” in a crisis. Sending meaningful messages to reach as many people as possible is a means to increase morale as well as generate a sense of care and proximity.

Expressing feelings of empathy and concern about people’s well-being is necessary to keep their team and organization aligned and engaged. Leaders provide direction and are clear about the actions they take to make people feel supported and safe. The more specific about each step taken, the better. The reality is that, in these countries, social and political institutions often are weak and slow in responding to adversity. Corporate leaders have an opportunity to fill this void and act accordingly. To elevate spirits, precise and meaningful communications are required. This accounts for the relevance of having a sense of closeness.

Designing optimal communications and narratives requires having a pulse on individuals’ concerns and needs. Therefore, leaders actively monitor their team’s perceptions about the workforce and their feelings and worries. To complement this, they heavily rely on the information provided by institutional communications systems. In parallel, most leaders take communications and personal relationships seriously. Thus, they send personal messages to employees to reinforce the direction and provide engaging narratives. In doing so, they seek to be reliable and transparent.

Source - https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/made-in-latin-america-how-top-leaders-in-the-region-lead