written by: René Carayol
Career | VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 2015
LEADERSHIP
As the business world becomes increasingly fast paced, unrelenting and unforgiving, the solution to the myriad of problems that organisations face appears to become ever more complex. But the answer always lies with leadership.
T
he role of any inspired leader is
the rest will follow on naturally once you are
around. You don’t have to have charisma or
to energise their people towards
seen to be brilliant at something. And yet
be able to address a crowd. You just need to
their vision and to create more
finding out what we are great at can be the
resonate with your people.
leaders; ensuring the highest levels
hardest and most fundamental task we will
of business can compete globally, embrace
ever face.
Think a little about two other great leaders,
the future and not dwell on the past. This is
Are you brilliant with customers? Fabulous
one old and one new. Nelson Mandela has a
not a tangible skill. It cannot be learnt out
with numbers? Good at seeing the bigger
personal brand based purely on humility and
of a text book or on the internet. It needs to
picture? Punctual and logical?
self belief and everything he has achieved has
be witnessed, discussed and absorbed first
Finding the answer doesn’t have to be such
stemmed from these traits. Barack Obama’s
hand. If management is all about process,
a challenge. “Things I really enjoy I tend to be
brand is based on the simple tenets of hope,
tasks, plans, implementation and execution
good at. Things I tend to be good at I really
optimism and eloquence and it has propelled
then leadership is something entirely different.
enjoy.” Once you start to unravel the different
him to near the top of the American tree.
It’s about people and vision.
strands of what you are great at then your
But neither is perfect.
“
Leadership is not about hierarchy, it’s about those who ask themselves the relevant questions.”
No leader has to be good at everything. Instead they surround themselves with people that compensate for their weaknesses, leaving them the time to expose their strengths on a regular basis. You can still be the conductor of the orchestra without knowing how to play every instrument. Leaders are those that can tell stories and give their team the space to evolve, make
leadership brand can be built around these
their own conclusions and find their own way.
We are going to explode the myth that you
strengths. Remember a brand is the promise
It is a process that, for you, starts today. To
can be promoted from being a manager to
of an experience and if that promise is not
get the ball rolling I want you to begin thinking
being a leader. It’s far more than that; it’s
fulfilled then your customers’ (in this case
about what the people around you are great
about your attitude and mindset. You’ve
your people’s) reaction will be both swift and
at, starting with me.
got to WANT to be a leader and anyone in
severe; you must be brutally honest with
the business can step up to the plate; be it
yourself and strive for authenticity.
a sales executive to a project manager to a director.
In every appraisal throughout my career I have been told repeatedly where my faults lie and
You can’t pretend or make up what you
what my areas for improvement are. The list is
WANT to be good at. It must be what you
as long as my arm but I have been fortunate
Leadership is not about hierarchy, it’s about
ARE good at. Think about the best leaders
enough to stumble across the answer to the
those who ask themselves the relevant
you have worked with and their stand out
question “what are you great at?”
questions. What am I great at? Why would
strength will often be their authenticity. Look
So give it some thought. If you can work it out
people want to work for me? Why do
around us – Bill Gates will always be a geek
for me then you can work it out for yourself
people engage and connect with me?
but it doesn’t stop him from being one of
and it might just be the one simple thing that
The first question remains the most vital and
the most inspirational and smartest leaders
changes your career.
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