What does good leadership mean to you? With this year’s World Quality Day theme of ‘Everyday leadership’ in mind, we’ve been thinking about what makes a great leader. Leadership is becoming more about problem-solving, emotional intelligence and collaboration as the way we work, the challenges we face and the technologies we use evolve.
Great leadership can be a fine line between driving strategy and empowering others. Here's what some highly successful leaders of recent years have to say:
Listen to your employees – at all levels… "Being a good listener is absolutely critical to being a good leader; you have to listen to the people who are on the front line." Richard Branson
… but be tough when you need to be. "My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to make them better." Steve Jobs
Embody your message and lead from the front… “You have to look at leadership through the eyes of the followers and you have to live the message.” Anita Roddick
… then equip your employees with the tools to make good decisions. "Leaders need to provide strategy and direction and give employees tools that enable them to gather information and insight from around the world. Leaders shouldn't try to make every decision." Bill Gates
Never stop learning…. "The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have." Sheryl Sandberg … and above all, don’t get complacent. “Just because you are CEO, don't think you have landed. You must continually challenge the way you think, and the way you approach the organisation.” Indra Nooyi