Need for strong leaders
Executives agree that strong leadership plays an important role in creating an enabling environment for a team of financial services professionals.
“Leaders’ attitudes and behaviour filter down to the rest of the organisation and are fundamental in shaping the attitudes and behaviour of staff at all levels,” says Regard Budler, managing executive: solutions at Momentum Corporate and Public Sector.
“We expect all our leaders to lead not by demanding, but by deserving to be followed. Our leaders do not lead from behind a desk but by working hard alongside their staff.
“They are there to support the rest of their teams when required, and to take action when needed.”
As one of Liberty’s senior leaders, Johan Minnie, group executive: sales, distribution and bancassurance, wants to provide leadership that enables, sets clear guidelines for success, and then gets out of the way to give people the chance to deliver it.
“I believe the days of the allseeing, all-doing autocrat are over. The leader of today needs to be able to articulate what he wants, forge the relationship needed to get people to follow, be open enough to admit that they don’t have all the answers, and be prepared to listen.”
Minnie says today’s leader in financial services is an enabler, a talent-spotter and a nurturer of ability; someone willing to serve a greater purpose and the people they are leading.
“The world is changing, we all know that. The pace, the onthe-fly decision making and the collaboration needed to succeed in today’s environment demands a different kind of leader. I think our people have all the answers — they just need direction, some motivation and a little bit of nurturing.”
According to Jonathan Rosenberg, CEO at Renasa Insurance Company, to progress quicker than competitors requires an effort greater than the norm. To inspire a team to contribute above the average requires a dedicated management team who lead by example and who demonstrate and earn the reciprocal loyalty of the staff.
“An understanding and paternalistic environment in which staff feel valued, appreciated and cared for encourages belief in the leadership,” he says.