Busting leadership myths: What makes a successful CEO?

Aspect was founded 25 years ago, and I joined the company nine months later as one of its first employees. I remember my parents driving me to the interview in one of the founders’ garages - it’s fair to say it’s not what they had in mind after putting me through university!

And yet, 25 years later, having ‘grown up’ in the agency (it’s been said that I have Aspect running through me like a stick of rock), I’m CEO and co-owner of a thriving events business full of hard-working and talented people I am proud to call my colleagues.

I’ve met hundreds of people, run hundreds of events, and learned countless valuable lessons in that time. Anyone in business knows it’s a rollercoaster ride and I’d like to think I’ve adapted and grown as a person and a leader throughout the experience. But at its core, my approach to leadership has stayed the same throughout my time at the helm of Aspect.

Here are six things that I feel make me a better leader:

1.????Leadership is earned, not handed to you. I was made CEO of Aspect in 2011 but the title didn’t come with instant leadership skills. I developed those myself over time with the guidance and support of my peers and my team. I made some mistakes and I learned from them – sometimes the hard way. But I now know that if I lead by example and from the heart, my team will follow.

2.????It’s my job to set the tone for the culture I want to foster at Aspect. My team works with me, not for me. It sounds obvious but it’s not an easy balance to strike because my priority has to be the profitability of the business, for all our sakes. So relatability and transparency are key. Aspect’s people deserve to know where the company is, where it’s going and how we are going to collectively achieve success.

3.????They also deserve to be listened to. How else can I improve and grow the business? Really listening is a rare skill but it can make or break a company culture. Following up with a plan of action or implementing a change, if required, is equally important - I am not being a good leader unless our teams have all the resources, tools and support to do their job, and I can only know what they need if I listen to them.

4.????I don’t have all the answers and that’s okay. Some say it’s lonely at the top, and yes, that can be true, but my strategy is to surround myself with people who know more than I do and who inspire me every day with their passion, expertise, and drive. By empowering them to succeed, we can do better work for our clients and make more progress together as an agency.

5.????I’m not above getting my hands dirty on a job. I still like to get involved in the day-to-day delivery of our client work because it keeps me grounded and I enjoy it! It reminds me why I do what I do and allows me to build stronger relationships with my team rather than keeping them at arm’s length. I hope they feel I guide them with purpose but also with empathy.

6.????And finally: Never underestimate the power of a simple thank-you.

I believe that good business starts with how you treat people. This works on so many fundamental levels and reminds me every day that everything starts with my team. It’s very simple: if I treat our people with kindness and respect, they will treat our clients the same way. And that’s how good business grows.