Leadership can be a tricky road to navigate. Luckily, there have been many successful leaders that can lend a tip or two on how to steer through these turbulent waters. While all of today’s biggest visionaries would agree that no-one possesses all the answers, they do have some pretty valuable insights into some key leadership criteria.
It’s no secret that a leader is only as good as their team. Founder of Alibaba Jack Ma takes this to the next level, insisting leaders only hire professionals with superior skills. According to Ma, this is the key to bettering not only the leadership but the company as a whole.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffet has one warning for all executives: avoid the ABCs of business decay. Arrogance, bureaucracy and complacency have plagued some of the biggest companies in the world including IBM and General Motors. Leaders should steer clear of falling into these common business ruts.
Pope Francis may not run a business in the conventional sense but he definitely qualifies as a global leader. He believes in the power of face-to-face interactions, hence his ‘management-by-moving’ style. The Pope suggested that all leaders walk around their offices to give their team members the chance to voice their problems or suggestions in person.
Amazon’s CEO and founder Jeff Bezos knows a thing or two about taking risks. In fact, when he pitched the idea of Amazon to investors he let them know he believed there was a 70 percent chance the business would fail. Considering the success of the company, Bezos firmly believes that risks reside at the heart of major business innovation.
While criticism is not always pretty, it is necessary for business growth. At least that’s the thought process behind Elon Musk’s business success. According to Musk, leaders should start with the assumption that their ideas are wrong. Their end goal? Be less wrong. Negative feedback can drive unparalleled innovation so keep the criticism coming.
Like criticism, business disruption isn’t something leaders actively seek. Yet, Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, believes the modern business environment demands leaders to “think strategically about the forces of disruption and innovation” and how they shape the future of business. Linear thinking doesn’t cut it in the current business climate; it is time to think outside the box.
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