Declan Ryan
CEO for Database Consultants Australia
Every organization, no matter the size or type of industry, requires leadership to be successful. Leadership is a critical aspect of effective business practices.
Leadership doesn’t come inherently, it’s a capability nurtured and built over time and gained through various experiences. Good leaders instil good leadership across their management teams. A leader can alter the perspective or psychology of their direct reports and motivate people to new heights while encouraging them to grow into what they know they can become.
Leaders adopt various leadership styles depending on their character and behavior trait, the maturity of the team and on the particular circumstances at the time. A leader may have a delegative leadership style, but may take an authoritarian stance in a crisis.
Leaders come from all walks of life, educational status, gender and age but regardless of their backgrounds, leaders possess similar traits such as:
• Great self-organizational skills
• Efficient learner
• Nurtures growth in employees
• Fosters connection and belonging.
Some believe a fortunate section of our community are born with charisma, influence and stature and are destined to take leadership positions. These lucky people may be naturally predisposed to entertainment or sporting success, but that doesn’t qualify them for long term leadership or to manage multi-cultural workforces through the various trials and challenges that will inevitably confront them.
Leadership is about conviction; you must have conviction if you want others to follow you. There is no single formula for success but there are attributes of leadership that are universal.
Leadership is an act of service – serving the people you lead and serving the purpose that you are collectively working towards.
A leader owns a sense of purpose and make sure it shines through in everything they do whether it’s the hard issues of the day or entertaining key stakeholders or staff. Leaders strive to make their teams into all they can possibly be.
Leaders lead with resilience. Whether it is “pushing through” in the face of challenges or changing course in the face of criticism, leaders need to be resilient regardless of the circumstances they are confronted with.
A successful leader will always have the right mindset, will communicate well with other people and by working collaboratively will make the most of the skills and experience of the team around them.
In his article in the Harvard Business Review, “What Leaders Really Do,” the author John P. Kotter states, “They don’t make plans; they don’t even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organisations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it.”
In recent history, there are few moments that could eclipse the leadership challenge Nelson Mandela had when confronted with the monumental task of transforming his country.
With the world holding its breath, Mandela began his speech with these words “Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans-I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.”
Mandela’s act of service, sense of purpose and willingness to work collaboratively, even with his oppressors, was beyond reproach. He prepared his country for change and helped his people cope as they struggled with the changes. A leader showing great leadership in extremely difficult circumstances.
Some believe you are born with the capacity to be a great leader. Not true. It is a matter of acquired experiences and skills gained over time. Sometimes, there is a luck but more often there is persistence, discipline, passion, and the courage to pursue that which is most important to you and to the people around you.
At the end of the day, it’s the actions you take, how you behave when confronting circumstances and how you nurture and develop your team that will define you as a leader.”
Declan Ryan is the CEO for Database Consultants Australia
