Leadership For Leaders
Michael Williams
Managerial wisdom probably begins with the recognition that there is
no one ‘right’ style of leading or managing.
Leadership, especially, is very much about doing what is right for the
situation and the people involved in it. Underlying such flexibility and
differentiation of response, however, must be a consistency of values and
ground rules, if the leader’s professional credibility is to remain the crucial
source of influence.
Credibility, in turn, in the role of a leader, goes beyond professional consistency
and competence. Increasingly, in today’s world, personal integrity,
too, is coming to be regarded as a critical factor, as the triple bottom line
of profitability, concern for the environment and, thirdly, social responsibility,
becomes an established business imperative. Two recent
significant, but unconnected, surveys – one in the USA and one in Europe
– both indicated that being able to trust their leaders was the number
one expectation of respondents. In each case, over 80% of replies identified
trustworthiness as the necessary top leader attribute. As Professor
John Adair states – “Our position as a manager is confirmed by the organization,
but our role as a leader is ratified in the hearts and minds of those
whom we lead”.
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