INSPIRATION
08
progressive leadership style: namely to hire
the best people and get out of their way to
enable them to do their best work. We need
our leaders to guide us, help us understand
the future, our solutions, products, and
our services. We need them to help us to
engage with our customers and to really
understand what we are doing. We also
need our leaders to lift us up by using
language we can understand about how
and what we are doing well. It is necessary
for our leaders to share more than just the
numbers to help us change or develop our
tactics. They must ask guiding questions
about how we could approach doing the
job in a different way - to refocus, feel
confident and learn new or different things.
This requires true empowerment based
on trust and support to take action. To
succeed, businesses need to combine
support, direction, and understanding to
help us find a better way. It is not about
'what can you do for the bosses', but very
much 'what the leadership can do for the
people within our organization'. This is
service leadership - and we need that way
of thinking in the digital and virtual era
even more if we are to grow and maintain
a personal connection with each other and
our customers.
AL: What does it bring on an individual
level?
AM: Leadership has the biggest challenge
to revive this personal connection with
people returning to 'normal' workspaces,
some after working from home for over 12
months. Colleagues need to feel connected
to understand both the challenges within
the business and the team spirit and
camaraderie needed to move forward
together. One of the leaders' responsibilities
is to ensure that people not only feel
confident that the business is moving in the
right direction, but act in a way they can
see it. Subsequently, they are required to be
able to challenge individuals and groups if
they are acting in isolation, or if they are
moving away from the agreed direction
of the company. The current challenge for
leaders is to deliver that assurance without
the ability to physically see everybody. It is
much more difficult to gauge the mood of
the organization, to listen, and to reflect
on feedback including the tone and body
language from colleagues.
In terms of virtual leadership, there is a real
opportunity to connect leaders with people
by means of instant messaging. Immediate
contact options create a chance for leaders
to focus on their people. What they cannot
feel, however, is your reaction. What they
can't hear is your murmurs. They have to
trust that you are making it work - because
they do not have the direct feedback of
your body language, eye contact, or even
facial expressions. Also, just because
people can make immediate 24/7 personal
connections, doesn't mean they know when
it's necessary to do so and how often.
AL: Middle managers are not only expected
to lead their teams in the new landscape,
but they are also empowered to do this.
What is the role of the C-level executives
in this?
AM: The main role of a C-level executive
is to encourage people to reach their full
potential. Hire the best people and greatest
minds, then allow them to do their jobs
while encouraging them to think, create
and deliver. It's not about telling them
what to do, it's about inspiring them to
explore more productive and rewarding
ways to do their job within the parameters
and framework of the business. Give them
energy, air, space to breathe and knowledge
that we are supporting them - that's what
true leadership is all about.
Within that, leaders have two main
responsibilities. One is to be the public
face of the business - the professional
connection between the corporate external
stakeholders. This requires communication
skills, networking, and engagement.
AL: What would be your advice for new
leaders or those that want to move toward
this new paradigm of leadership?
AM: Anyone wanting to move into leadership
needs to truly understand who they are, what
their motives are, and ask themselves some
key questions:
• Are you doing this for power, selfsatisfaction, personal financial gain, or
the need to be in control?
• Do you want to lead people to share
success with them? Do you want to
enjoy the journey, the successes, and
the failures, and work together to create
value for customers, sustainable profit,
and a great place to work?
• Or do you just want the personal
glory attached to your own needs and
individual achievements?
True inspirational leadership is based on
service, caring for your colleagues and
customers, shared values, collaboration, and
shared experience to learn and shape the
future together in true partnership.
Quick Leadership Test:
Q 1: Are you prepared to self-reflect, act on
feedback, learn new ways of working, learn
from others, help others learn and listen?
Yes/No
Q 2: Are you prepared to do what is best for
the company, not just for you, and to make
difficult decisions which some people won't
like and could make you unpopular? Yes/No
Q 3: Are you prepared to admit your mistakes
and when needed change direction even if it
makes you look foolish? Yes/No
Q 4: Are you willing to put your personal
needs and feelings secondary to those of the
people and stakeholders whom you lead and
represent? Yes/No
Q 5: Are you willing to hire and develop
people even smarter than you and empower
them to do their best work even if it means
they outgrow you and the company and
maybe even leave? Yes/No
If you answered NO to any of the above
questions maybe you are not quite ready for
true Service Leadership just yet.
IQ COMPARED WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE