There’s a quality we all on occasion must demonstrate regardless of whether we are in our existing, or a new role or following a promotion: leadership. Whether you are at the start of a career and feel slightly like you’re at the bottom of the food chain or have led and managed teams of people for decades, we all like to believe that we have the attributes and values of a leader to a greater or lesser extent.

The naysayers will claim that we can’t all possibly be leaders – who would be left to lead? This, however, is not a strictly correct opinion, for the best leaders, in my opinion, are those who can both lead and be led by others.

As I watched Steve Borthwick take on his first major challenge as England’s Head Coach in what could have been a much worse latter weekend at the close of the Six Nations, I found myself reflecting on what it takes to be a leader in any sphere – and be a relevant leader to the situation.

I will begin by saying a good leader doesn’t necessarily have to be an individual in an obvious leadership role – they don’t even need to work with other people (although it helps!). Simply be willing to be accountable is a starting point supported by acting on one’s own initiative is a key element of any good leader, not always requiring instructions, particularly if there is an absence of direction or guidance.

Moreover, working with others, a leader will recognise the value of the knowledge and skills of colleagues and associates, especially those that differ from their own, and ensure that they are all given a platform to speak up and share their insights. In doing so, a leader is accumulating a broad scope of information to determine possible actions. They will have facilitated a culture of teamwork in which everyone is able to perform in an optimum manner collectively. A leader knows when to speak up and when to let others have the forum to express themselves, so that they are able to learn together and achieve more.

A key step is to have clarity in your messaging, in your communication, decisions and your goals. Let people know what it is that you want to achieve for the team and the organisation and make it easy for them to understand the journey you are embarked upon.

We at ABPM, by listening, are supporting leaders in finance and IT at various stages of a career to get where they aspire to head by providing informed and practical advice as well as identifying the next role on your journey. Get in touch today to find out how we can try and assist.

 

Rej Abraham, Sarah Torrington, Matt Byrne, Alex Handford