In this article on The Question on Leadership, I would like to share my experiences, thoughts, insights and perspective on leadership in general. A lot has been written on the topic of leadership from various vintage points, whether political, spiritual, business, social or global. Various authors acknowledged that the concept of leadership is complex, both in theory and practice. On the theory part, is the question of whether a leader is born or made. One school insists that leadership is a gift and therefore inborn, whilst the other maintains that a leader is made through learning and experience.

On the practice part, is the question about leadership in crisis. Whether do we still have authentic, true and excellent leaders? Are today’s leaders driven more by money, power, prestige rather than vision to transform society through their organizations and companies?

This article tackles what true leadership is, the role and qualities of a leader. I want to start this article on how I evolved as a leader.

MY EVOLUTION AS A LEADER

I have always been a leader unknowingly and reluctantly. As a young man growing in the streets of Soweto, I found myself giving direction, or peers waiting on me to give orders to do something. Even at home as the eldest child, expectations were high on me to be responsible and take care of my siblings. People always looked up to me for direction and what needs to be done.

As a youth leader

Having refused to avail myself for the Student Representative Council during my high school at Forte High, I could not escape been elected in the leadership of the Student Christian Movement (SCM). SCM became the peacemaker between waring militant Congress of South African Students (COSAS) and the intellectual Azanian Students Movement (AZASM). Being the secretary, I was the engine of SCM and made sure we are involved in student affairs during the volatile political situation of the 1980s.

My leadership potential was further enhanced when I joined Youth Alive in 1984, a holistic youth development organization founded in 1960. My first leadership role at Youth Alive was Team Leader. As a team leader I was leading young people of my age in preparing and presenting weekly programme activities like drama, music, teachings and games. My responsibility increased when I was elected in the executive committee as Vice-President of the Dobsonville Branch or Club. The role entailed working with the Branch President to ensure growth, operations and activities of the entire branch. These leadership roles were on-the-job training as there was no formal leadership development or training. You were just elected because of your commitment, consistency and skills.

As a student leader

My leadership journey continued at the then University of Durban-Westville (UDW). After observing the apathy of Christian organisations on political and student issues, together with about five of us, revived Student Union for Christian Action (SUCA) – UDW. I wanted to make a difference. I was elected as Core Group Leader or Chairperson of SUCA and Regional Treasurer for Natal. We were able to grow from five members to more than 30 and brought consciousness and participation of Christian students in the university affairs. Other Christian formations were also revived and this led to the establishment of a Joint Christian Forum.

I also became of a member of South African Student Congress (SASCO)-UDW and a famous performing poet. Given my popularity and activism, I was elected into the Student Representative Council (SRC) executive committee as Secretary General. The role put me at the centre of advancing the student struggle which included exclusions, student accommodation and funding. In my second term election as SRC Executive, I opted for Media Officer role as I was passionate about media and publications. As an SRC Media Officer I was responsible for student publications, branding and campus radio.

As a spiritual leader

After university days, my leadership took more of a spiritual tone and less of political. Together with a group of church members we founded Life Transformation Church. My leadership roles throughout the evolution of the church included Finance and Administration, Evangelism, Youth Ministry and Ordained Pastor. I moved on to become a founding pastor of another church, Eternity Family Church.

As a business leader

My business leadership journey started as a Senior Business Development Officer, managing a team of four loan officers at my first job at SEED Foundation. The role provided me with an opportunity to grow as a manager first and then a leader playing a senior management role.

Joining a German foundation, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, I was also gained great exposure for my leadership development. Appointed as Senior Project Manager for Economic Projects afforded me the opportunity to lead projects of national policy importance. I interacted with various stakeholders in business, government, labour and politics.

Following a stint in entrepreneurship for thirteen years I went back to formal employment, and I was appointed as an executive responsible for strategy at SENTECH. As Chief Strategy Officer I lead the Strategy Division comprising of a team of 14 professionals with five direct reports. My role affords me the opportunity to provide leadership across the organization to ensure coordination and alignment. I have also introduced a number of initiatives such as Mergers & Acquisitions, International Business, Integrated Reporting, Organizational transformation and lately Environmental, Social and Governance or ESG. As a thought leader I normally participate in industry conferences as a speaker and panellist.

Global leader

My ultimate aspiration is of becoming a global leader who understands, participates and influence the global macroeconomics and technology environment. My current role in driving International Business is a step forward towards global leadership.

WHAT IS TRUE LEADERSHIP?

Defining leadership

Different authors have defined leadership in various ways.

In their book, 12 Disciplines of Leadership Excellence, Brian Tracy and Dr Peter Chee define leadership as ‘the ability to elicit extraordinary performance from ordinary people’ and that ‘leadership is the ability to get followers.’ Here leadership is about having followers that can do extraordinary things.

According to Bob Biehl, ‘leadership is knowing what to do next, knowing why that’s important and knowing how to bring appropriate resources to bear on the need at hand.’ (Leading with Confidence). This definition suggests that leadership is about giving direction and mobilizing resources.

Miles Munroe, in his book, The Power of Character in Leadership defines leadership as the ‘capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by conviction, ignited by a purpose.’ Here we can deduce that leadership is influence.

Emphatically, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum asserts that ‘leadership is a gift that some people have and others do not.’ (My Vision: Challenges in the race for excellence). This definition implies that leaders are born.

Henry and Richard Blackaby provide a spiritual view by defining spiritual leadership as ‘moving people on to God’s agenda.’ And further says that spiritual leadership is ‘about people who choose to make a difference.’ Leadership in this instance is about impact.

From these definitions one can learn that leadership is about the ability, influence, direction, inspiration, taking people somewhere and interesting, knowing what to do next.

Whether a leader is born or made

Most leadership experts are of the view that a leader is made rather than born. Through learning, doing and experience one can become a leader, many assert. Other experts hold on to the view that a leader is born. A leader has some genetic predisposition to lead. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai believes that ‘leadership is a gift that some people have and others do not.’ The middle view says that whilst some people have inborn leadership qualities, they still need to develop into becoming leaders. Those who have not demonstrated inborn leadership qualities can also be developed into leaders. There is an opportunity for anyone to become a leader whether you are born a leader or not. Leadership can be developed.

Leadership styles

Leadership style is influenced by several factors, firstly, what one values more, either goals or relationships. Secondly, whether one believes in structure or freedom of choice. And finally, how one makes decisions, are they done on one’s own or collectively.

What follows is understanding several leadership styles, namely, transformational, transactional, autocratic, democratic, servant, bureaucratic, laissez-faire and coaching.

Transformational leadership is about bringing radical change within an organizational especially if it is facing existential challenges. A transformational leader is required to fundamentally change the organization and effect new direction, change organizational structure and close non-performing business units. These he/she does by inspiring and motivating followers to achieve goals, and create an environment for personal growth.

Whilst a transactional leadership is about getting results on the existing status quo. It is more managerial where rewards and punishments are used to achieve goals.
Autocratic leadership style is authoritarian, where a leader has complete control over decisions. Such a leader rarely consults anyone and leads with fear and intimidation. His or her word is final.

A democratic leadership style is the opposite of autocratic. It involves transparency and encouragement of teams to share ideas. Such a leader consults widely and takes into account differing views before making his/her final decision.
Servant style of leadership, known as servant leadership, is characterized by prioritizing the needs and aspirations of the team above his/her own.

Laissez-faire leadership style is about the leader making few decisions and facilitating the group to make decisions and solve problems.

The coaching style of leadership is about improving people by focusing on enhancing their strengths and dealing with their weaknesses.

A suitable type of leadership will depend on the state and need of an organization. Where fundamental change is required, a transformational leader will be relevant and where incremental change is necessary, a transactional leader will be handy. An autocratic style of leadership in most of the time undesirable, but may be necessary in times of crisis and limbo where quick decisions have to be made. The most preferred style of leadership in many organizations is a democratic one, as it takes into account the views of others and thereby fosters ownership on the decisions made.

Servant leadership, which is about putting the needs of the team first or ‘washing their feet’, is also one of the preferred leadership styles especially when leading volunteers in non-profit organizations. Laissez-faire style of leadership works best in a more innovative and creative organizations where individuals and teams are giving the freedom to come with new ideas and to dream. The coaching style of leadership is most suitable for developing individuals and teams because of its personal approach.

Leadership is not management

It is an accepted fact that there is a distinction between leadership and management. Leadership is not management and management is not leadership. Leadership is about driving the vision and inspiring action to achieve long-term goals. Whilst management is about managing people, systems and processes to ensure efficiency in an organization. Management has an immediate and short-term perspective.

A common problem in organizations is when leaders manage and fail to lead. They get involved in operational matters and forget the big picture. Instead of staying in the balcony, they are found in the dancing floor. Although leadership has some element of management, it should be very minimal. There is a cry about people being macro-managed by their leaders, an indication of lack of trust by the leaders and it is toxic for the organization. That is why talented and competent employees leave because they feel undermined and not trusted. They quit the leader and not the organization.

THE ROLE OF A LEADER

Having discussed the definition, nature and types of leadership, we look at the role of a leader.

Drive the vision

Driving the vision is one of the key roles of any leader. A leader should lead with a vision. A leader should direct people’s efforts and energy towards the organizational vision. Vision is a preferred future and therefore a leader should take everyone towards that destination. A verse in the book of Proverbs says that “without vision people perish”, an emphasis about the importance of having a vision. A leader should make sure that there is a vision, and that he/she is the custodian of that vision.
Inspire action

Not only should a leader drive vision, he/she must also inspire action towards achieving that vision. Inspiration comes from within and followers must feel it and be excited to act. A leader should inspire action by clearly articulating the vision, mission, strategy and goals of the organization. There must be a clear strategic plan that people understand and have buy in or ownership. Everyone should know what their roles are and contribution towards that ultimate goal. An inspirational leader should keep the fire burning and the action going.

Craft and execute strategy

Strategy execution is a key ingredient of a successful leader. A leader should be able to craft a clear strategy that can be implemented. Strategy and execution are essentially interrelated, you cannot do one without the other. Strategy without execution will take you nowhere. Similarly, execution without strategy may lead you to a wrong direction. A leader should understand this interaction between strategy and execution. Most of the time organizations craft good strategies but fail on execution due to a number of factors such as lack of focus, resources, monitoring, accountability and follow through.

Bring about change

A leader should make a difference by bringing change in relation to the changing external environment. Otherwise, the organization will be left behind and ultimately become irrelevant. The change that is brought about by emerging technologies like AI, Robotics, IoT and so on requires organizations to adapt or die. A leader should not be afraid to challenge the status quo. In this ever-changing environment, a transformational leader is required. He/she must constantly assess if progress is made and what needs to change to ensure that the organization survives and responds to threats. Therefore, a leader is a change agent.

To win

A leader must be a winner. No one follows a loser. People want to identify themselves with victory and want to be part of a winning team. A leader must take his/her organization to victory over competition and other threats. He/she must ensure that the organization survives and thrives.

To get results

A win should be reflected by the results. A leader must get positive results. Shareholders expect increase in shareholder value whilst staff are looking forward to bonuses. All these can happen if the organization produces excellent results, and this is what the leader should to deliver.

QUALITIES OF A LEADER
Having looked at the role of a leader we now turn to the qualities of a leader. The qualities of a leader can be as many as there are leaders, but I have narrowed them down to the eight that I believe are common and significant.

Courage

The dictionary defines courage as ‘the ability to do what frightens one.’ Courage is similar to being bold and brave. Courageous leadership is taking decision or doing something that may not be popular but beneficial. Following the death of Moses, God appointed Joshua to take the reign but instructed him to be ‘very strong and courageous.’ Joshua’s mission was to ultimately take the children of Israel (crossing the river Jordan) to the promised land which was riddled with fighting wars in order to get there. Joshua needed to be a very courageous leader. And he was.

Excellence

Excellence is being very good at what one does. An excellent leader does not settle or tolerate mediocrity. Whatever he does is of high standards, whether is customer service, innovation or operations. Such a leader instills the spirit of excellence within his/her people. One author says highest level five of leadership, is attained by a leader with a reputation of excellence.

Compassion

A compassionate leader leads more with the heart than the head. He/she treats followers as human beings who need encouragement and support. He/she is not heartless. Compassion is putting yourself on the shoes of those who are having a bad day and encourage them.

Intelligence

An intelligent leader is one who is able to acquire and apply knowledge and skills in running the organization. This implies that a leader must be reader and learner. He/she must have a good grasp of what is happening in the industry and how that affects his/her organization. He/she must be able to make intelligent decisions based on his/her knowledge and skills.

Humility

Humility is being modest, the opposite of pride or arrogance. A humble leader takes responsibility for failure and give praise to his followers for success. Leaders in business and politics today find it difficult to be modest, they want fame and are not humble. Jim Collins, says that at Level 5 executive, a leader ‘builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.’ Such leaders according to him, ‘channel their ego from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company.’

Ethical

Corporate and government scandals have put the question of ethical leadership on top of the agenda. Ethical leadership calls for respect for moral values and beliefs. The absence of ethical leadership has resulted in dishonesty, mistrust and immoral behavior that destroyed individuals and organizations. An ethical leader is one who upholds the highest levels of morals, trust, dignity and honesty.

Integrity

Jack Welch of General Electric once said that without integrity ‘one must not be allowed in the game.’ A leader with integrity is one who keeps his promises. He/she honors his word. If he said he will do this and that, he does that. He/she can be trusted to deliver.

Character

Character is who a person is really is. Leadership is about having a good character. Character encompasses ethics, integrity, respect, fairness and compassion. It can make or break a leader.

In conclusion, our world and organizations need leaders who are not questionable. It needs courageous yet compassionate leaders. Excellent yet ethical and of good character. Intelligent yet humble. Democratic yet decisive. It is within each one of us to lead as long as we want to make a difference and know what to do next. That is true leadership.