Arrogance in the Financial Services industry is no longer acceptable.

John J Maxwell | June 08, 2018

Do you remember the time when, as a financial services professional, one needed to show their strength and determination by way of dominance and overbearing character traits?

It sounds like something out of the movie Wall Street or Glengarry Glen Ross.

No matter how dramatic an analogy that may seem, the financial services industry has always been known as an industry full of arrogance and Alpha dominance, whereby flexing of the ‘muscle’ showed strength and leadership and was even admired in some way.

As society changes, so do culture and values. The more things change, the more we seem to be moving towards empowering mass movements and forcing change through vocalising our needs, wants and dislikes through the means of social media platforms and apps. Just as technology has changed immensely so has the attitudes and societal expectations in the way we live and the expectations of our environments at play, at home and at work.

So, it’s no surprise that the time has come for the financial services to evolve not only in the tangible aspects of tools and gadgets and technological advancements but also in terms of values, attitude, and culture.

Gone are the days of heavy-handed gestures and control mechanisms. Old fashioned styles of leadership and management are being replaced with a more empowering approach to transformational learning and advanced communication & leadership skills.

The harsh attitudes, techniques, and strategies are no longer accepted in the industry. In fact, those who want to excel and achieve greater recognition are wanting to be held accountable and enabled within their role. A good leader wants to take responsibility and the ability to demonstrate what they are capable of achieving.

We’re evolving fast as an advanced industry of experts and the industry as a whole is ready to complete the puzzle and transform into everything we already know it can be, and should be. Just thinking about this is very refreshing and exciting to see organisations find their feet and shine. Leadership is a key element and as always, more individuals need to step up and lead the way. We’re not only ready for it, we’re demanding it!