A 360-degree perspective on effective leadership

IHAVE always believed that a leader’s contribution to his organization is best measured not in numbers but in principles, processes and paradigms he is able to instill over time. I have been fortunate to have been with very good leaders and mentors for the past 10 years.

I have always wondered how I will be able to repay them. In the end, I realized that the best way is, as the movie goes, to “pay it forward.”

This is what I would like to share with you and how I now see what a leader should be. I may be oversimplifying it, but I’d like to equate it to a sphere. A leader should be able to look in front of him all the time.

A leader must be able to move forward. A leader must possess not only a vision but an unwavering commitment to translate such vision into reality. He should, therefore, not be done with nurturing the dreams of consumers. Rather, he should thrive in making these dreams come to life. With such a pursuit, a leader, thus, is not limited to considering existing circumstances but is compelled to explore beyond what is apparent to discover the underlying truths and relationships. He must harness the power of insights to create the bridge that can turn his vision into reality.

A leader should never be afraid to make mistakes. He may not always make the right decision, but he should always make a fair one. A leader should be able to look on his side, meaning a leader must be able to understand that if he is given limited resources, he must be able to devise means of wisely allocating and maximizing what is available. An example is the development of products that are driven by critical consumer needs while being sustainably fueled by business viability.

At the end of the day, a leader does what is good for the consumer and what is right for the business. Therefore, a leader must be able to harness the tools targeted and relevant to the market while being rewarding and worthwhile for the business.

On the other side, a leader must harness their team’s strengths. Credentials can be a consideration, but what a leader should look out for is the passion of his team members to do well. People have unique talents that are innate. A team member may be able to learn the skills and knowledge, but talents will always be within them.

A leader must be able to discover what these talents are and then love and respect them. He can also match his team’s character with the needs of his team. Even if a leader is in a job that is homogenous, like a sales or call center team, he should never expect everyone in his team to deliver the same actions and results. If this would be the case, perhaps it would be better to get robots. Remember, a talent is only a talent when put in the right place.

Also, a good leader should be able to develop his people and let his people develop him. A leader should have the know-how and should have the passion to continuously learn.

Once, one good friend told me that the objective of a leader is to eventually make himself redundant because it only means that his team has already imbibed all the needed knowledge and skills from their superior.

A leader should also be able to look back since he can get the best learning from his experiences. One example is being able to draw valuable lessons from both the Eastern entrepreneurial spirit and Western corporate discipline, having grown up in a typical Chinese family and being able to work with some of the best financial companies in the industry.

A leader should strive to attain an optimal balance between both worlds to be 10 steps ahead of the ever-changing needs and circumstances. A leader must evolve his business over time to be proactive rather than reactive to ultimately serve the best interests of both the consumer and the business.

In the end, an exceptional leader should be able to look inside his heart. This is the one that will fuel him to look at his front, his back and his sides, all at the same time. As the leader moves toward his vision, he must look back and let his experiences guide him, and look at his side to see what he and his team have. All these will only be possible if a leader has the heart of a leader.