My dream of a future leader

My dream of a future leader

As the year draws to a close, it's a perfect time to review the issue of leadership, which is the main theme of this column, and think about what type of leadership we should dream of in the future.

The Year of the Goat featured a number of interesting business stories, from the Volkswagen emissions scandal and the CP All insider trading case to the 4G spectrum auctions and the opening of Terminal 2 at Don Mueang airport. Each one involved various kinds of decisions, for better or worse. The ability to make a decision is essential for any capable employee or executive. However, the quality of the "leader" who makes the decision is critical and not easy to imitate.

Hence, I'd like to offer my views about the quality of leaders we should dream of having in the Year of the Monkey and beyond.

Vision: Leaders should have a long-term view of their organisation, an ability to imagine where it might be in five to 10 years. Some people may argue that five or 10 years is too long in today's volatile business world. They could be right when it comes to making an actual vision statement, which might look no more than three years ahead in order to be realistic and practical.

The right vision is not only a source of corporate unity, since employees and executives alike will see the same direction, it also reflects the passion of the leader to ensure that the critical work gets done to ensure the vision is realised. Such leaders demonstrate conviction and persistence, essential qualities for successful strategy implementation.

Ethics: The moral compass is even more important in our highly materialistic world. Ethical principles and practices are expected from individuals, authorities, board directors and the organisation itself. We saw many instances of wrongdoing in 2015 that shocked the business community and society in general. What we learned is that without an ethical mindset, leaders may not be fully accountable for their work. The reason is simple: they will put their own benefit before the benefits of the organisation and society.

Creating a strong ethical climate as a cultural norm can separate the sheep from the goats. With ethical mindfulness, leaders not only deliver sustainable performance but also build teams of capable and ethical employees.

Courage: Any decision at any level cannot be treated as an easy one. Leaders should have the right knowledge and be aware of the proper procedures needed to make the right decision. Courage is needed especially when a decision goes against the tide. In this regard, employees too must understand the consequence of taking risks, in order to make difficult decisions in the course of day-to-day business or in other areas such as investing.

Innovation: Without a certain degree of creativity, leaders may not be able to look beyond the status quo, take a different or contrary view and create new and challenging agenda for the organisation.

People who have innovative ideas usually are positive thinkers as well. Looking on the bright side is a good start to thinking outside the box and creating new ways of doing things. The result could be a new business opportunity and growth for both the short and long term.

Communication: No matter how smart one is, without a strong willingness and ability to communicate, one cannot be the perfect leader. In this regard, the leader should embrace the mindset of a team player who persuades others to reach the desired vision, and not behave as a boss who only gives commands.

Top leaders who are outstanding in their fields tend to be highly sociable as well. This doesn't mean that all their interactions will involve inspiring big crowds, since they are effective in small groups as well.

Emotional stability: Mindfulness is a critical qualification. Mindful leaders will always be aware of what is happening around them and will not easily lose their temper in response to an emotionally stressful event or issue.

There is a certain upside to having some people with low emotional awareness in an organisation, since they tend to be highly results-oriented. However, they don't care who they offend along the way. Thus I believe the downside outweighs the upside because damaged relationships can affect the organisation's performance. Although it is not always the case, nobody wants to have a chief executive who behaves like a bull in a china shop.

There are two other essential qualifications which I consider as structural, not soft skills like the above six characteristics. These are business acumen (knowledge of one's area of responsibility) and dedication to a healthy life, so one is ready to work without interruption.

On this occasion, I would like to wish all readers a happy and healthy life in 2016 and beyond. Thank you for your continuous support.                  


Sorayuth Vathanavisuth is the Principal and Executive Coach at the Center for Southeast Asia Leadership (SEAL) and lectures at Mahidol University's College of Management. His areas of interest are corporate strategy, executive coaching and leadership development. He can be reached at sorayuth@sealeadership.com

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