Managing differently

It’s not often that I have one of those epiphany moments.  A moment when suddenly something I have been puzzling over for a long time, maybe forever, comes into clear focus.  But I had one such moment when putting together this issue of The Mover.  More precisely, when interviewing the ladies from De Haan featured on our front cover and on page 26.

The thing is, I asked them why they felt women are better managers than men.  Their answer took me by surprise because nobody had ever explained it to me in that way before.  Firstly, I was corrected: not better, just different.  But, it appears, different in a way that is particularly appropriate to our time.  A time in which change happens faster than ever before, and the rate of change accelerates.

During the discussion it also became clear to me that a mix of styles was likely to be the best possible option.  A blend of realism, empathy, practicality mixed with a large helping of dogged determination to get things done and see them through to a conclusion.  The ability to flex as markets change is all very well, but sometimes you just have to take off your jacket and power through.

It was a very interesting discussion, and one that I hope I have accurately reflected in this month’s cover story.   More importantly, it’s a topic that I hope will be picked up more widely in the industry because, I figure, if it’s taken me 50+ years of my working life to recognise that there is something different going on, one or two of you might not have quite worked it out yet either.

As always with stories in The Mover, I welcome your comments, for publication or not.  If you have any thoughts on this topic, or anything else, please share them.

One other thought, as we navigate the 2025 conference season.  It seems that, in keeping with my earlier comments, the world has changed rather since we all last met.  It will be fascinating to see how those changes are reflected in the discourse in the bars of Dubrovnik and Montenegro.  I have heard reports that the polarity of modern politics has resulted in more entrenched positions and more heated argument, in offices and even between families.  Let’s hope that we can keep our conversations cordial, even if we do disagree sometimes.

Click here to read the magazine in full.