Leadership Competencies- by Leaders around the World
What makes an effective leader? The Question is a focus of my curiosity. From Anne Mulcahy, Xerox CEO “Leadership is about Learning!” One of her sayings include “An important mark of a good Leader is to know you don’t know it all and never wilI.”
Admiration of Leaders is based on more than their accomplishments. The ability to reach people in a way that transcends the intellectual and rational is the mark of a good leader. They inspire us. It’s as simple as that. And when we are inspired we tap into our best selves and deliver amazing work.
According to a Leadership theory formulated in 1978, there are two leaders, Transactional and Transformational. The man behind the world’s most ethical companies, “Starbucks”, applies the latter. Transformational Leaders inspire their team and encourage members to develop as individuals and be part of a collective team to work towards achieving objectives. This is the type of leader Howard Schultz is and he ensures there is trust, respect, honesty and commitment in the company he is running. “When we love something, emotion often drives our actions”. Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbuck. To outline the fact, Leadership is about Emotion.
Anne Mulcahy, took over the helm at Xerox in 2000, with the company facing possible bankruptcy, she had a blunt message for shareholders “Xerox’s business model is unsustainable”. She discussed the importance of honest and effective communication, especially during the time of crisis and shares her experience at Xerox by saying “Crisis is a very powerful motivator”. Well yes, it forces you to make choices that probably you wouldn’t have made otherwise. It certainly intensifies your focus, your competitiveness, your relentless desire to attain best in class status. As it’s seen her Leadership style was democratic because she took in consideration of her team’s decisions and made an effective choice at the end. She once said “Bankruptcy is never a win”. Nonetheless her confidence and spent time listening had achieved higher goals.
So, can this ability to touch and inspire people be learned? No and Yes. The truth is that not everyone can lead, and there is no substitute for natural talent. “Investing in early childhood nutrition is a surefire strategy. The returns are incredibly high.” Honestly, I am more convinced of this now — I am in reality about the world of work and employee engagement. But for those who fall somewhat short of being a natural born star (which is pretty much many of us) leadership skills can be acquired, honed and perfected. Leadership guidelines like:
- A good leader will recognize what she does not know and be willing to learn all the time.
- A leader must believe in the values and principles she espouses and must “walk the talk” with total consistency.
- A leader must have a clear vision of where she wants the company to go. Xerox, she said, had long had a good vision but had not acted forcefully to implement it.
- A leader must give others power to make decisions.
Reflected by Anne Mulcahy following her retirement from CEO of Xerox. Learning her lessons well from the previous debacle, Mulcahy once again transformed Xerox — the plain paper coper company. When a student in the audience asked Mulcahy what keeps her up at night, her response reflected both her honesty and her resolve “I think I am more motivated by fear of failure than a desire to succeed”. Leadership redefined by Anne Mulcahy where Forbes acknowledged Anne as one of the world’s most influential women in 2005 and 2009.
References:
http://brandongaille.com/leadership-style-anne-mulcahy/
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/for-anne-m-mulcahy-leadership-is-about-learning/
http://www.josephchris.com/7-howard-schultz-leadership-style-principles
