We're all in this together

Having recently moved firms, I am trying to create a new reputation and a new respect in my new position. It got me thinking about how to have a leadership presence among my colleagues.

The people at the top of any organisation set the tone for everyone else. Behaviour and communication style, technical abilities and efficiency – and even the way they dress – are all regarded as being templates for the rest. Therefore, if senior management
don’t get it right, most others will
not either. So, what qualities does
a good leader need to project? How
do they command the necessary respect?

An important quality for any leader to have is approachability. Early in my career, I was shown around a new office and the manager doing so ended by saying that he had deliberately not introduced me to the senior partner,
and the longer it was before I met him,
the better.

True enough, he was without doubt the most aggressive work colleague I have ever had: daily volcanic eruptions, secretaries heading home in tears, people’s work disappearing out of the window... I could go on.

It was said that when he was screaming and shouting at you, there was nothing to worry about; when he spoke in a calm and calculated voice, however, your problems were about to begin.

At the time, I remember thinking that this was not the way to run a business. There was very little honest communication, people did not feel inclined or able to contribute or to bring in new clients.

In fact, they avoided the man at all times. I now make a point of having my door open whenever possible. I encourage people to challenge me and to voice their opinions. I try to create
an inclusive environment. Together, we are far more likely to be successful.

A good leader also needs to make time for people. If someone needs to speak to you, give them your complete attention. If you are busy, schedule a time. Don’t peruse your mobile phone as they are talking to you as one very senior person did to me recently. Don’t answer the telephone when someone is speaking to you. Make people feel as though you are genuinely interested in them and what they have to say. They may even have a perspective or information that you had not considered.

Management clique

Everybody should be treated equally. Nothing creates a feeling of discontent more than a boss with a group of favourites. Such a situation is divisive
and undermines the crucial principle that all firms need to be meritocratic.
It also eventually leads to those not in the ‘pet’ group leaving in search of a level playing field.

Staff need to feel recognised and appreciated to perform well in their jobs. There are plenty of alternative employers around, so if you wish to retain a happy, motivated workforce, remember that everyone is an individual.

Leaders also need to be an affirming force in a business. No one likes a complainer. Therefore, try to create as positive an atmosphere as possible. If the boss looks as though they have the worries of the world on their shoulders, it will filter down to everyone else.

However, recent research has
shown that leaders do not need
charisma to be successful. In fact,
if anything, charismatic leaders tend
to be less successful than their more restrained peer group. You do not
need to be a mix of Steve Jobs,
Peter Ustinov and Che Guevara.

Some of the most successful leaders have been, dare I say, a little dull. However, they have all been deep thinkers and highly respected.

Geraint Jones is a tax partner at Berg Kaprow Lewis

He writes the regular in-practice article on doing business for Private Client Adviser