Leadership: A Requirement Skill For Today’s Managers

Great business leadership thrives during challenge and change. Today leadership skills and adaptability are being tested by coping with the virus, social issues, and ever-changing technology.

Poor leaders tend to retreat, avoid risk, and play dead during difficult times. Poor leaders look for certainty and stability. During crisis they stay-pat, take cues from others, and follow the pack.

Great leaders are proactive and decisive. They look for ways to manage forward and pilot the business through rough waters to emerge stronger and more relevant in the marketplace.

Great Leaders Ignore The Status-Quo and Innovate

Bold, decisive, and ingenious actions are required. It’s not simply to survive the current crises but prosper and grow. To view the crisis as opportunity to enhance and build brand equity and loyalty.

With bold decisiveness comes significant risks. The risk of self-doubt, unforeseen tactical problems, poor execution, and in failure itself.

Social Posturing Is Not Necessary To Be a Great Leader

To me, social posturing by companies during crisis is a long-term negative. Speaking out and attempting to differentiate your company may have short-term market gain but pushing a social agenda is not a position I would recommend.

Nike, is a perfect example. A great Brand with plenty of pricing power, Nike has become a voice for several social causes and so far this has ‘worked’. Nike’s major market is urban youth, one of the most disloyal of consumer groups. Urban youth driven by ‘fads’ and the ‘famous’ not politics and social discourse. Yet, Nike has been very careful in selecting which social issues to ‘market’.

If your business is going to speak out and take a social position you have to be solid – meaning you can’t be vague in your position, follow-the-leader, or be concerned about the political ramifications of alienating current and future customers.

Leadership is a changing management skill. Today, boldness, conviction, and decisiveness are the skills needed to build brand equity and re-enforce customer loyalty.