Leadership Matters
"Great leaders do not seek leadership.
A great leader is called to leadership".
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organisations.
4 Key behaviours:
- Affiliative: Leaders create emotional bonds and harmony.
- Democratic: Leaders build consensus through participation.
- Pacesetting: Leaders expect excellence and self-direction.
- Coaching: Leaders develop people for the future.
Leadership in today's world
It’s been said that a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. The same is true of business leaders. While leading others always comes with challenges. Currently the challenges are an "indigestible mixture of ingredients that do not normally go together in a constellation of forces.” Fancy words but with Covid, supply and recruitment issues, all are having an impact on leaders.
In any tough times, it is not uncommon for leaders to compromise on objectives or simply batten down the hatches to wait out the storm. A lot of leaders feel they can’t make the mistakes they could have previously absorbed.
But, any crisis is also an opportunity for leaders. Those organisations that are well managed, efficient and can make difficult decisions, come into their own. One Gallup study suggests that only 10 per cent of people naturally have all the necessary traits to be a great leader. But the pandemic upended conventional norms of leadership excellence. Leaders had to keep their remote teams productive and motivated. They had to provide certainty and direction when it felt like there was none. And they had to make big decisions in a turbulent business environment. Many relied more on softer skills, such as teamwork and creative thinking.
In the throes of a crisis, leaders must keep channels open to empower and motivate employees to uncover efficiencies and inspire innovation. Leaders need to be accessible, humble and visible. They must bring their teams alongside them. And they need to be open to being challenged. Leaders need to be listening more, enabling dissent and getting people to voice their opinions because all leaders don’t have all the answers.
Diversity – of gender, background or experience – brings about perspectives that a leader might have been blind to before
It’s well known that diversity leads to superior business performance.
Enabling that diversity of thought throughout an organisation requires technology, as well as cultural change, to provide a holistic view of the enterprise. People need the tools and the environment to think beyond their silos and almost become cross-functional across the organisation. That unlocks more efficiencies and value, which are particularly welcome when budgets are tight.
The rise in AI and machine learning means Leaders are going to be able to get more data, more quickly and in the right context to make better decisions. Employees will be empowered to focus on more complex, human work rather than tasks that can be automated.
Companies which do not have well-defined processes that are efficient, agile and customer-centric are going to struggle. As the market becomes more competitive, there is more and more of a need to provide great customer service and to simplify internal processes.
The question is, “do you panic, try to cut costs and just keep doing what you’re doing – or do you power through and champion a better way of doing things? Simply put,iIf you bring along your team, get diverse perspectives and don’t spend too much time in analysis paralysis, you will become more comfortable in the decisions you make. This is the time to really embrace this and say: we are going to come out of this even stronger than we were before.
JORDI FERRER- VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR UK & IRELAND AT SERVICENOW
It’s been said that a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. The same is true of business leaders. While leading others always comes with challenges. Currently the challenges are an "indigestible mixture of ingredients that do not normally go together in a constellation of forces.” Fancy words but with Covid, supply and recruitment issues, all are having an impact on leaders.
In any tough times, it is not uncommon for leaders to compromise on objectives or simply batten down the hatches to wait out the storm. A lot of leaders feel they can’t make the mistakes they could have previously absorbed.
But, any crisis is also an opportunity for leaders. Those organisations that are well managed, efficient and can make difficult decisions, come into their own. One Gallup study suggests that only 10 per cent of people naturally have all the necessary traits to be a great leader. But the pandemic upended conventional norms of leadership excellence. Leaders had to keep their remote teams productive and motivated. They had to provide certainty and direction when it felt like there was none. And they had to make big decisions in a turbulent business environment. Many relied more on softer skills, such as teamwork and creative thinking.
In the throes of a crisis, leaders must keep channels open to empower and motivate employees to uncover efficiencies and inspire innovation. Leaders need to be accessible, humble and visible. They must bring their teams alongside them. And they need to be open to being challenged. Leaders need to be listening more, enabling dissent and getting people to voice their opinions because all leaders don’t have all the answers.
Diversity – of gender, background or experience – brings about perspectives that a leader might have been blind to before
It’s well known that diversity leads to superior business performance.
Enabling that diversity of thought throughout an organisation requires technology, as well as cultural change, to provide a holistic view of the enterprise. People need the tools and the environment to think beyond their silos and almost become cross-functional across the organisation. That unlocks more efficiencies and value, which are particularly welcome when budgets are tight.
The rise in AI and machine learning means Leaders are going to be able to get more data, more quickly and in the right context to make better decisions. Employees will be empowered to focus on more complex, human work rather than tasks that can be automated.
Companies which do not have well-defined processes that are efficient, agile and customer-centric are going to struggle. As the market becomes more competitive, there is more and more of a need to provide great customer service and to simplify internal processes.
The question is, “do you panic, try to cut costs and just keep doing what you’re doing – or do you power through and champion a better way of doing things? Simply put,iIf you bring along your team, get diverse perspectives and don’t spend too much time in analysis paralysis, you will become more comfortable in the decisions you make. This is the time to really embrace this and say: we are going to come out of this even stronger than we were before.
JORDI FERRER- VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR UK & IRELAND AT SERVICENOW
Our pocket size Ebook shares our insights into the leadership behaviours essential for successful business work practices.