The Sunday Mail
Taurai Changwa Business Forum
WHEN shareholders recruit directors, they often opt for individuals who are calm and sober, and whose deportment is representative of the image that the company intends to create for the public. A board should also have individuals who can think and express themselves freely, as constructive criticism is invaluable to any organisation. Conversely, board members who just seat and let time pass during board meetings, including those that just rubberstamp whatever is suggested by other board members, are dangerous for the business.
Chances are they will not have the interest of the organisation at heart.
A “yes man” is a very vile creature indeed.
What mainly distinguishes successful business leaders from those who fail is that the former are prepared to craft strategies and make bold decisions.
Far from what many might want to believe, business is incredibly tough.
In business, there are obviously good and bad times, and when the going gets tough, some leaders can go on vacation or they hide in their offices, cowering behind email.
When conflicts arise, they have excuses for slipping out of meetings or avoiding them entirely.
Good leadership shines best during trying times, for difficult circumstances afford it time and opportunity to show initiative, innovation and capacity.
There are many reasons why some board members and even directors directly avoid taking responsibility over crucial decisions for the company.
It might be because they do not want to be held liable for failures that will directly result from the decision.
ln some cases it might be because of downright laziness.
However, when leaders avoid or delegate their work, they send a clear message – you are on your own, we won’t be there for you.
There is no place for such lily-livered leaders. A good chief executive officer is able to engage all relevant stakeholders when the going gets tough.
The hallmark of leading is tackling challenges head on.
Duplicity doesn’t help either.
Backbiting peers and belittling them can seriously undermine confidence within an institution.
Too often, leaders are oblivious to how quickly word of their conduct can spread across their organisations.
It also affects staff morale.
Naturally, employees will start wondering what’s being said about them in private. They will begin to question the integrity of their seniors.
By lacking respect and restraint, leaders only stir resentment.
And they lose their moral authority to lead as a result. However, it is normal for business leaders to be open to criticism.
That people talk bad about you is not a licence to quit easily.
Business leaders such as Bill Gates and Strive Masiyiwa have their fair share of critics. The reason they are successful is that they keep their eyes on the ball.
Focus should always be on goals and objectives.
There is clearly no reason for distractions. Hard choices are often inescapable for leaders.
For example, retrenching is not an easy task but there comes a time when it has to be done.
Typically, fearful leaders will not decide, advocate and even take ownership.
They live in the short-term, putting off painful action, allowing the problems to fester and praying the day of reckoning will hit after they have left.
Haughty personalities can also be a curse to any organisation.
They feel superior, or so they think.
They cut people off to avoid a discussion. In any given situation, they are always convinced that they will have their way.
In their world, only a few voices have value. Some call that decisiveness. Most interpret it as fear. Where employees have no say, they have no stake.
Such businessmen are weak.
Their talent and all those ideas gets wasted.
Another interesting breed of officials are those who borrow from past glories to justify their positions.
Such individuals embolden their loyalists to conduct witch-hunts to intimidate and purge sceptics.
An open door policy and confidentiality are alien values to them.
In fact, they spy on their subordinates.
Employees in these organisations suspect the actions of management.
Also, the heavy-handedness of management creates compliance, not commitment. Worse, they make leaders look deserving of criticism and guilty of accusations.
Well, maybe some leaders act this way because they don’t trust their employees. Or, perhaps they sense their employees can already see through them.
It doesn’t matter, when leaders establish an “us versus them” mindset, people are usually safer standing alongside the “them.”
For one to establish himself or herself as a successful leader, they have to navigate through all these hazards.
It becomes apparent therefore that business is neither for the weak nor is it for cry babies.
Taurai Changwa is an AAZ and has vast experience on tax, accounting, audit and corporate governance issues. He is the managing director of SAFIC Consultancy. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted at [email protected] or whatsapp on 0772374784.
