National Post - Financial Post Magazine
CANADA’S MOST POWERFUL WOMEN TOP 100
FROM ELEANOR ROOSEVELT TO MALALA YOUSAFZA, THE QUALITIES OF GREAT LEADERS NEVER CHANGE
When we think of great leaders, we often look at politicians, innovators and social and political activists. Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher displayed confidence and conviction even in the face of the harshest criticism. Canadian feminist and social activist Nellie McClung was steadfast in her fight for women’s equality in the early 1900s. U.S. first lady Eleanor Roosevelt forged her own path and overcame whatever obstacles she found before her. They were bold, tenacious, empathetic and genuine.
These qualities are timeless. We see them in great leaders who have changed the course of history and in today’s youngest leaders, including Malala Yousafza, the teenage Pakistani activist who stood up for girls’ rights to education and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work. We see them in our role models at home and among the leaders we trust and respect the most at work. Regardless of industry, job title, technology or challenge, leaders who embody these qualities will continue to inspire, motivate and deliver change.
Kathleen Taylor, chair of the RBC board of directors, has built her leadership style on being authentic. Growing up in Oshawa, Ont., Taylor didn’t have many strong female role models so she looked up to her father, who worked as a plant manager in nearby Bowmanville. “I always marvelled at how he treated people around him,” she says. “He always treated everyone with dignity and respect — through good times and bad.”
Authentic leaders know themselves — their strengths and their weaknesses. They are genuine and honest, seek input and advice, and have an ethical core they stand by even when it is difficult. Taylor put this into practice during her 24-year tenure at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, cultivating relationships with hotel owners around the world. “It’s about being genuine in your actions with others, understanding what helps you be your ‘best self,’ and then bringing your best self to all your business and personal relationships,” says Taylor. “Employees end up trusting, respecting and listening to authentic leaders, and helping them deliver their very best.”
Good leadership is very much about being agile and responding to change. In the mid-2000s, MasterCard Canada president Betty DeVita moved to Seoul, South Korea to head up business development and integration for consumer banking for Citibank. She soon found herself mired in serious union negotiations that could have sabotaged the launch of key initiatives. But DeVita made headway and established a working model to move the business forward while respecting the lack of a collective agreement by getting buy-in from the union leaders. “It was risky, but it paid off,” she says.
The ability to empower others is another quality that distinguishes great leaders. They develop and enable others to forge ahead with their own ideas with the reassurance that they are trusted and supported, rather than limiting the decision-making to a few at the top. “You must show that you trust your team and give them opportunities early and often,” says Mia Pearson, co-founder of North Strategic, a Toronto-based communications company. Developing talent and fostering diversity will give companies access to the best ideas to innovate and respond to challenges.
The demands of leadership may change from one generation to the next, but the skill set and qualities that enable great leaders to shine are steadfast, regardless of the obstacles before them. Technology, globalization and changing behaviours will continue to serve as great challenges to organizations over the next 20 years. For today’s (and tomorrow’s) strong leaders to continue to embody these timeless leadership qualities of being authentic, flexible and empowering, they will continue to encourage high-level performance within their team. “If you embrace change,” says DeVita, “it is an extraordinary driver to enhance both personal and professional journeys and truly bring one to the next level.”
“Employees end up trusting, respecting and listening to authentic leaders, and helping them deliver their very best.”