Leadership
Leadership comes in many guises.
A leader must be authentic. They must know and understand what is happening in their organisation. Leaders are expected to espouse the ethics of the organisation and the industry in which they work. They are responsible for setting the Tone At The Top. That is theory. Their actions must be consistent and demonstrate what is actually acceptable in the organisation.
Leaders must demonstrate compliance with the laws of the countries in which they operate, plus the rules and regulations which apply to the organisation. These are incontrovertible facts, accepted by all professional bodies, industry regulators, and the vast majority of those who are required or expected to accept the constraints of the environment in which live.
Mistakes happen, it’s part of life. But when a leader consistently and knowingly fails to adhere to a prescribed code of conduct, it encourages others to disregard those accepted norms. In extremis, the result is anarchy.
In every instance, a loss of respect and trust for the leader equates to a loss of respect and trust for the organisation – unless the organisation takes timely action(s) which are deemed appropriate and proportionate by the vast majority of stakeholders. Those actions may be difficult to take. The leader is likely to have been successful personally and increased the support of stakeholders over a period of time.
When leadership fails, the results are often felt very quickly. A loss of respect for the leader soon leads to a loss reputation for the organisation. Previous actions which have not captured the attention of the stakeholders are often revisited, almost always with a more critical approach. Actions which would otherwise be considered unimportant suddenly take a new dimension.
Competitors gain market share, and their opportunity to influence stakeholders dramatically increases. The organisation may be forced to cease operations. Barings Bank, Arthur Anderson and Lehman Brothers are good examples of what can happen. Thousands of hard working, dedicated, and highly skilled people lost their jobs. They may be considered guilty by association, even when they have done nothing to contravene the standards which are expected of them. Their families suffer, their lives change.
Leadership is not just a skill, it’s a mindset. It’s a way of life. It’s a continual learning experience. It impacts everything we do, whether that is family, a start-up, an SME, a huge corporate, or a government. Trends come, trends go, but leadership is about individual beliefs and actions.
These are some of the reasons why we at Peak Governance Business Advisors emphasise action over words when we mentor people. Our leadership team use their personal experiences of leadership traits, personal characteristics, and the professional qualifications they hold to work with them to examine the potential outcome of a proposed decision and thereafter to reflect with them on the actual outcome of what they have done.
We mentor a range of people. University students, SME owners, C-Suite individuals. To find out how we can help you to develop your leadership contact us on 07484194204 or by email at billy@peakgovernance.co.uk.