CEO Today - February 2023

boldness, innovation and risk enable us to make progress; the quest for improvement must be constant; courage and trust are vital and universal; being inclusive makes many vital things (from teamwork and innovation to decision making) much better, as well as simply being the right thing to do; cash is good, debt is bad. None of these should be a surprise. Despite many truths being apparent since at least the time of Shakespeare they are sometimes neglected, a casualty of our mistaken belief that because so much has changed, everything has changed. Understanding and kindness are here to stay People want to be heard and valued, they expect human virtues of openness, decency and inclusion, and they respond to leaders who understand the drivers of trust. These qualities include fairness, dependability, respect, openness, courage, unselfishness, competence, supportiveness, empathy, and compassion. Communication, connection and empathy are vital. In unpredictable times with people feeling bewildered at best and often fearful, leaders need to communicate, connect and engage with people, meeting them where they are. More than that, genuinely connecting with communities is essential for the long-term health of the business. Personal leadership qualities matter. Leaders need to be selfaware, emotionally intelligent and open, authentic and decent, as well as capable, courageous and effective. They need to listen and ask, not simply tell; and they need to coach, guide and shape as well as learn. In these situations, the solutions are to recognise the importance of psychology in the way we lead and embrace a deeper level of understanding. Also vital is the ability to provide a guiding vision and purpose, not just a deadline or financial target. Tell people where we are going together, why, and how. Finally, Peter Drucker’s comment that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” is still true. Elon Musk’s command that Twitter employees commit to a “hard-core culture… working long hours at high intensity… [where] only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade” is a colossal mistake. It is unlikely to engage people, alienating customers as well as employees. It also ignores the truth people and talent cannot be commanded, they need to be developed, respected, nurtured, and sustained. And it neglects a simple truth: people want and value modern leadership. 36 LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

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