06. CHARISMA

To become a leader, you need to understand and interact with people on all levels of the business. “To succeed, you have to understand what’s happening on the ground by interacting with the people on the floor and seeing what’s operationally driving the business,” said Bidvest Insurance CFO Alastair Petticrew. “This strategy helped me to grow as well. Every person is important to the business, and your role as a leader is to help them understand the value they add and how they can help facilitate shared success.”

Etienne also advocates getting to know customers. “Sales is everything in insurance,” he said. “You need to go and see the places we’re insuring and invest in having the client experience. Once you understand your customers’ drivers, you can simplify them for the people on the ground.”

Julian also feels that interacting with the people both within and outside the business is inherent in leadership. “Getting to know the people is integral in every bit of a company,” he said. “People talk about soft skills but they’re real skills that we need. Leadership is about knowing how you get someone to believe in you and do something they’d rather not do. Yes, you need to know the technical side and maximise profitability, but it’s also about how to get people excited about coming to work. You have to build a relationship with your team that’s rooted in trust.”

“During turmoil you’re not always sure about the right thing to do,” added Walter. “It’s okay to be uncertain. Ask for input, participation, and consultation; above all, the plan should – and does – evolve.”

For Megan, making mistakes is also part of the process, but you need to learn from them. “You will make the wrong decisions but it’s how you adapt. The worst thing to happen is if people in the organisation aren’t being transparent during a turnaround, because creating trust is critical.”