LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT    …one is not better than the other, both are essential and properly blended, you can achieve remarkable business results.   Aidan Harte, Dec 22

We have done a lot of training with Line and Senior Managers again this year under many different headings but, to varying degrees, nearly all of it involved the “Development & Leadership of People”. Regardless of the number of people you employ or your business type, executives wishing to grow and develop their organisations need to build a range of key management competencies across such topics as Strategic Planning, Finance, Operations, Marketing & Sales, HR and Innovation. However, we can verify that truly spectacular results can be gained by focusing on, and investing in, two ongoing ‘programmes of change & development’. One is fostering and imbedding a very real & deep ‘customer focus’ across the entire business (which we will cover next time) and the second is through Leadership competencies which fosters a positive and dynamic Organisation Culture.

If you Google terms like “Leadership” or “Organisation Culture” you will get millions of references and an endless list of tips, advice and definitions which can often serve to confuse rather than create clarity. That said, I am reminded of an important slide we regularly use to highlight the fact that while the words “SIMPLE” and “EASY” may look like they convey the same meaning, oftentimes concepts and instructions which are SIMPLE to comprehend may indeed be far from EASY to implement.

In this light, it may be helpful to look at three key ingredients:

1. Management should provide you with an orderly and disciplined workplace where people comply with the rules & regulations of the organisation and deliver the role & responsibilities for which they have been employed. Management also play an important role in the recruitment of the right people, people who are a ‘good fit’ for the organisation, people who don’t only have the right Knowledge & Skills for the job but also have the right Attitude & Disposition.
2. One of the quick definitions of Leadership that I am particularly fond of is “Leadership is the Management of Discretionary Performance”. In other words, cultivating a relationship with members of your team whereby they will go that extra mile when required, maybe not rushing out the door at 5:30 if they see that you are stuck to finish something or providing that special service for a customer which builds loyalty and your business image & goodwill.
3. Organisation Culture provides a safe, positive and pleasant workplace environment, it combines management, leadership and facilities to create an environment where “People want to do it rather than have to do it”. In this environment, staff like, respect and trust the Company and their boss and, in turn, they know they are respected and trusted, their endeavours are appreciated, they are involved in decisions and their opinions & ideas welcomed. Also, think in terms of being able to finish your Mission Statement with a term such as “….delivered by people who care”

In his many good quotes Richard Branson shows the essence of his Leadership style and highlights how having good, respected, well trained staff is the very essential for business success as did the late, great, Feargal Quinn when he said “give me people with the right attitude and we’ll train all the other stuff”.

Regardless of your business size or sector, LEADERSHIP is fundamentally about the complex combination of your Attitude & Behaviour towards people and your skills and style of Communication and Relationships’ Management. Such relationships do not only apply to staff but also extend far beyond to the complex web your personal life, customers, suppliers of goods & services, state agencies and networking opportunities.

Anyway, the good news is that the Optimum Results’ team will help to make the process of achieving your 2023 ‘spectacular results’ a lot more ‘Simple AND Easy’ and, in wishing you a wonderful Christmas and every success for the New Year, I will close by quoting a client SME Owner Manager, when he recently said “Leadership is really all about me facilitating others to achieve MY Goals”