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Big Business Ideas
Stephene Chikozho
“A LEADER is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way,” says John C. Maxwell.
The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. Effective leadership builds capacity in others.
A leader’s charisma alone is not enough. Extraordinary leadership requires the establishment of integrity, trust, empathy and empowerment.
Exceptional leadership requires action from the boss, not just brainpower.
For centuries, researchers have attempted to determine the definitive styles, characteristics and personality traits of great leaders.
Yet, despite thousands of studies, effective leadership remains a subject of debate. However, one common theme is that effective leadership requires action, not just intellect. Leaders cannot simply rely on charisma. While charismatic leadership has its place, there is a danger that rhetoric can exceed reality.
Rather than empowering their employees, charismatic leaders often micromanage tasks and prevent their staff from gaining a sense of achievement from their work.
Charismatic leaders are often heralded as champions of organisational success, but that charm can be a blessing and a curse — the void created by the departure of a charismatic leader can be hard to fill.
It may flatter the ego to be proclaimed a hero, but great leaders know that success involves building long-term organisational capacity that will outlast their own tenure.
Keys to effectiveness
To be effective, a leader must be confident and secure, and, at the same time, open and empathetic.
Effective leadership involves the ability to create capacity in others through the process of interacting, informing, listening, developing and trust-forming. The credibility of the leader is achieved through collaboration, not domination.
Central to effective leadership is empowerment — the art of enabling other people to get things done.
One of the most effective contemporary African leaders is Professor David Simbi — an engineer, professor of corrosion engineering, and vice chancellor of Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT).
Since his appointment, Prof Simbi has produced more executive and senior management leaders, not only in Zimbabwe, but the entire region as well.
In addition, Prof Simbi has empowered his staff members, producing more PhD holders from his staff members than most other vice chancellors in Zimbabwe. As a result, CUT’s business and technology outputs are some of the very best in this age.
Among the leadership traits that contribute to Prof Simbi’s effectiveness is his belief that leadership is learned “by doing”.
On several occasions, he walks around every department, meeting and shaking hands with every employee. To this day, he remains a common sight on campus.
Integrity and trust, the VC believes, are built when leaders are seen to be willing to “get their hands dirty” and remain in touch with the most common tasks of the higher education business.
Leaders must communicate a strong vision but, above all, they must empower staff to make decisions themselves.
In large, diverse organisations, a leader cannot and should not make all the decisions.
This helps others to understand the necessity for change. Giving them the tools to manage that change is key to the leader’s role.
The success of international technology group Econet Global is also a living example of great leadership attributed to executive chairman Mr Strive Masiyiwa’s ability to manage and empower cross-cultural teams.
Leaders, Mr Masiyiwa suggests, require the ability to listen, empower and empathise, not just with employees from their own countries, but also with people from different countries and cultures.
Mr Masiyiwa’s insights illustrate that effective leadership requires putting vision into action. Achieving this requires more than just rhetoric. Effective leaders must “talk the talk” and “walk the walk”.
Leaders and succession planning
Leadership and succession planning are closely intertwined and crucial for the long-term success of any organisation.
In businesses, one way or another, succession will have to happen eventually, and it is likely to go a lot better if the founder CEO is involved from the outset in crafting and implementing the plan.
Succession planning involves identifying and developing future leaders within an organisation to ensure a smooth transition of leadership when the current boss steps down or moves on.
Here are some key aspects to consider when it comes to leaders and succession planning:
Identifying potential leaders: Effective succession planning starts with identifying individuals within the organisation who have the potential to become future leaders. This involves looking for employees who demonstrate strong leadership qualities, have a track record of success and show commitment to personal and professional growth.
Developing leadership skills: Once potential leaders are identified, it is important to invest in their development. This can be done through various means, such as providing training and development programmes, assigning them to challenging projects, offering mentoring or coaching opportunities and providing exposure to different aspects of the organisation.
Creating a leadership pipeline: Succession planning involves creating a pipeline of leaders at different levels within the organisation. This means developing leaders not only for the top executive positions but also for middle management and other key roles. Having a robust leadership pipeline ensures that the organisation has a pool of talented individuals ready to step into leadership roles when needed.
Putting the plan into action: Succession planning is not just about identifying and developing future leaders; it also involves implementing the plan when the time comes.
This means having a clear plan in place for leadership transitions, including a smooth handover process, effective communication and support for the new leader to ensure a seamless transition.
Great leadership involves having a clear vision, strong communication skills, building trust, empowering others, leading by example, possessing emotional intelligence, continuous learning, adaptability, recognising achievements and fostering collaboration.
By embodying these characteristics and practices, leaders can inspire and guide their teams towards success.
Stephene Chikozho is managing director for Urbane Create Agency — a strategy, marketing and advertising agency. He writes in his personal capacity. You can follow him on social media (Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn) WhatsApp +263772409651 or email [email protected]
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter