Leadership is at the forefront of hacking growth in any organisation. Without solid leadership, the organisation is almost sure to fail. I remember that when I was studying at LSE, a professor of mine showed me his research which was work in progress at the time, but has now been published. The paper is titled ‘Good and Bad CEOs’. It was extremely interesting as it showcased the value that a CEO adds to a firm’s performance by conducting an event study on their DEATH! I know it sounds dark, but it is indicative of the fact that the shareholders know which CEOs are actually good and which are bad, because the lack of their presence is reflected immediately in the share prices. Such is the importance of a strong leadership!
The question then arises, that what makes a person a good leader?
For starters, they should have a mindset that is open to change and to constant learning. We know that nothing is ever constant in this world, and so adapting to change is essential to lead by example. The qualities of being courageous and confident are crucial to be an effective leader.
In the words of Socrates –
The only thing I know is that I know nothing.
Hence, constant learning and upskilling are vital to keep up with the times.
A good leader can communicate effectively and authentically. When discussing communication, it is extremely important to mention active listening.
When someone is actively listening, they are giving their 100% attention to what the other person is saying. They are not just hearing. They are present in entirety and PROCESSING everything that is being said, and then engaging in a meaningful conversation.
Feedback — Both to and from the other person/people involved is crucial to any form of communication and to ensure that there are no misunderstandings.
A good leader always has their doors open to ensure that there is a constant flow of communication.
There are 2 types of leaders. Empathetic leaders, and Agentic leaders.
An empathetic leader leads by understanding and sharing the emotions of the other people and taking action based on that.
They are also communal in nature.
Agentic leaders are dictatorial.
Both leadership forms have the same end goals, ie. the success of the organisation. But one does so by working as a group and ensuring everyone is on the same page, while the other is based on the individual leader’s agenda.
In order to grow the organisation, a leader needs to set goals. These goals need to be backed by solid plans. Unless the leader is absolutely OBSESSED with these plans and in their proper execution, they will not be able to achieve their goals. Hence, the leader must learn to NEVER SAY NO, when asked if they can do something. A good leader should be able to multitask and make QUICK BUT INFORMED DECISIONS. In order to make these quick decisions AND also multitask AND also never say no AND also ensure that they achieve their goals while doing all the above, the leader must learn to DELEGATE!
Delegation of work to specialised people helps in the division of labour and in turn in the optimal use of resources. It helps to save time and to get work done quickly and efficiently.
A leader cannot refrain from delegation because of the fear that someone else will become too good at what they are doing and take the leader’s place in the organisation!
This is insecurity and no organisation has any place for an insecure leader!
Hence, A good leader must take decisions without the fear of failure. It’s fine to make mistakes. What is more important is to learn from these mistakes and not repeat them. This also helps in building investor confidence. After all “To err is human, to forgive is divine”.
I also believe that a good leader must be passionate about their work. In Darren Hardy’s book ‘The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster’, Passion is spoken of as a switch that is always there and just needs to be flipped on. He says that there are 4 ways to do so. Find what, why, how, and for who you are passionate about what you do.
1. What? Ask yourself what you are passionate about. Hardy says that 95% of the time you won’t enjoy what you are actually passionate about doing.2. Why? If the ‘what’ is not the switch then try asking yourself why you are passionate about doing something in particular?3. How? If it’s not ‘what’ or ‘how’ then maybe it’s how you do something that makes you passionate about doing something.4. Who? Finally, If none of the above are reason enough for your passion to do something, then there might be someone for whom you are doing what you do, that is the driving force of your desire to to it.
I have only mentioned a few qualities a good leader should have, in this blog. Leadership is a vast topic of study and of research and this is just the tip of my fountain pen, let alone an iceberg. However, without these essential qualities, nobody can be a truly AUTHENTIC LEADER.
If one leads by example, is constantly able to adapt to changes, bold, confident, believes in one’s self and in their decisions, can delegate and multitask efficiently, understands the importance of communication and of working in a communal manner by setting clear goals; and if they are passionate about what they do, then no matter what happens, they will hack growth!
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