Please note that a version of this article appeared in the June 2008 edition of RICS Business magazine. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like a copy of the published article or visit www.rics.org for more information.

When taking a brief from a client organisation at the start of an assignment we so often hear the following request: “The candidate needs to have strong leadership”. However the frequently quoted word “leadership” means different things to different people. We thought that for this edition of What’s New it might be of interest to our readers (both clients and candidates) to discuss the issue of leadership and what this elusive talent is made up of. Is it just one key component or is it a mix of different characteristics?

There is little doubt that we live in a demanding commercial world that is no longer dictated by local markets. In this modern day and age we must, if we are to succeed, be able to “lead” in the wider geographic sense; but what exactly is the art of leadership and are these people born or created? Are some leaders better in a crisis than others? Are some companies better than others for leaders to operate in? You do not need to sit down for long to realise that this one word (leadership) is in fact a highly complex one; it is a word that has been much debated, from the most eminent professors to the highest ranking military officials. It would seem that if you are one of the lucky ones and find yourself in possession of this quality (either by birth right or through application) then the future is rosy! Does this mean therefore that those who rise to the highest corporate levels are always strong leaders? In a word - “no”!

Leadership is tough. Leaders require strength of character. Leaders need to be able to step up and make the ‘tough calls’ on behalf of those that they manage and on behalf of their shareholders. Leaders require total integrity. Their “followers” must believe in them 100%. Those that they lead must feel that they possess personal attributes above and beyond their own. Perhaps more importantly, all great leaders require courage. In difficult times it takes courage to make tough decisions. It takes courage to put yourself in a position that will cost you personally if the final decision proves to be a bad one. It takes courage to admit weakness; for indeed a great leader will always show some small ‘chink’ in their armour albeit a weakness that will not impact the overall success of the mission (commercial or otherwise).  What arguably takes the most courage however is speaking up on behalf of those that you lead without thought for your own six monthly appraisal or forthcoming bonus!

We are tasked with appraising all of these traits in an executive in around two hours! So what do we look for given that we cannot observe a candidate in their own corporate habitat? We find that natural leaders have an approachable manner and are very good listeners. They possess confidence (not to be mistaken for arrogance) and a clear natural flair for interacting with other people. They possess very well honed sensing skills and are naturally intuitive. Whilst always ‘remaining apart’ they somehow always make those that they lead feel as though ‘they are all in it together’. They have a natural air about them that others feel comfortable with. Leaders draw people in making them simultaneously feel valued and cared for. Strong leaders make others feel individual yet an important and highly valued part of something bigger at whatever level of the organisation they are. After all, a member of the team is a member of the team; no ‘ifs’ no ‘buts’.

One of the things that really attracts people to a leader is knowing that they are not being asked to do things that the leader is not prepared to do him or herself. In a strange way being a great leader is being the same as everyone else. Yet clearly this person is not. Their ability to sense situations and act before they have occurred makes the leader stand out. He or she does not need to be a ‘hero’ rather a person who others believe has both unyielding integrity and strength of character. They need to know that this person will stand up for them behind closed doors in good times and bad. Poor leaders are quickly exposed in bad times. The bad times expose the selfish and not the selfless leader. So, it’s a tough call for the true leader! It is very often a lonely job that only becomes more lonely as you progress further up the organisation and therefore receive less and less feedback.

Are some companies therefore easier to lead in than others? In our view there is no doubt about it. Some companies are very “command” structured permitting little room for “challenging the status quo”. Others however give leaders the space that they need in order to operate in a more natural and collegiate way. They also permit, within reason, their leaders to take calculated risks. These types of companies tend to already have strong leaders who are comfortable in their own shoes and therefore secure enough to allow others also to flourish. Poor leadership soil will, in most cases, produce poor leaders. Hence the need for strong leaders to make certain that they join companies with the correct ‘leadership culture’.

So are these people born or created? In our view most will have the ability and desire from an early age. The skills will then grow and flourish as the leader goes through secondary school, university and onwards. Many quite simply (and very understandably) do not wish to assume such a responsible, difficult and often isolated position. The higher you climb the further you fall! The message from us is: if you think you are a ‘leader’ be certain of why and if you are hiring leaders be clear what specific characteristics you are looking for!   
 
Leadership is such a vast subject that an article this size can only skim the surface. However we believe that most of the above character traits are universal. Indeed, we benchmark against these key criteria wherever we are asked to recruit – from London to Beijing. Leadership is tough and requires a person ‘to be true to themselves before they can be true to others’. This in turn takes a level of personal maturity and integrity often higher than the norm. If you possess these skills but do not find yourself progressing within your own company it may well be time to test the soil! It’s a fascinating subject and one that we at SUMMIT deal with daily - whether tasked with looking for “latent” leadership in the less senior executive or that of the Chief Executive. Either way these skills are in very high demand!

If you have any views on leadership that you wish to publish on our website, or if you wish to discuss the possibility of hiring a new business leader, then please do not hesitate to contact us on +44 (0) 20 7763 7114 or email us at info@summit-group.org