Inspirational Leadership: who has been the most influential leader that you have worked with?

What is it that makes a great leader?

There's plenty of anecdotal evidence surrounding successful business leaders and inspirational role models, and surveys have highlighted some individual traits that are considered inspiring. As a recruiter who has interviewed and worked with many leaders and businesses myself over the years, I've come to recognise some key characteristics of a great leader which I'd like to share with you.

Leading the Team

Good leaders have a compelling vision of how their business should be conceived and directed, and they maintain a strong focus on achieving their stated goals. While they may lead from the front, they are never aloof from their colleagues, but whenever possible are willing to collaborate and work alongside them. A good leader also nurtures their team, helping them to grow intellectually, emotionally, and even spiritually, so that they develop into a strong unit with a sense of communal well-being.

An inspirational leader isn't afraid to sacrifice short-term profits if it means that the company might survive in the longer term. One well-known example of this concept is Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who in 2008 famously opted for quality over quantity. By closing down many global outlets and sacrificing several hours of profits in favour of staff training sessions, Schultz massively improved the presentation and efficiency of the company, and rescued it from corporate decline.

Setting a Tone

I have seen that inspirational leaders display the utmost personal integrity, as well as being completely open about their business and its goals and unselfish in achieving them. They can articulate clearly what they believe in, what their own role is, their inherent values and their ultimate goal. They are also responsive to the demands of the business and willing to take responsibility for any outcomes, good or bad. An inspirational leader understands trends in the outside world as well as the needs of a company's customers and employees.

In 2016, Alex Gorsky, Chairman and CEO of global pharma giant Johnson & Johnson, decided to divest J&J's medical devices unit of 3,000 personnel. While this was a harsh move for the employees, for the company, it helped initiate a turn-around which again emphasised quality over quantity and redirected the business focus towards more innovative products.

Connecting with Others

Connecting with others requires not only communication skills on every level, but also the ability to empathise with others in ways that will demonstrate great vitality combined with appropriate humility. Nothing is less inspirational to co-workers than a leader who is so full of their own importance that they become lazy and dictatorial. A good leader listens to what others have to say, garners their feedback, and acts positively in response. S/he displays a consistently positive attitude and shows awareness and gratitude to employees for their contribution, even if it's only a smile and a thank-you. The late Princess Diana was an outstanding example of such empathy, and it's no accident that she should have been a close friend of Mother Teresa, one of the world's most iconic leaders in humility.

From the same sub-continent, I cannot help but admire Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, who has been an inspiration for women all over India to prove themselves in business. Blocked by male resistance in the 1970s from running her own brewery, she put her scientific know-how to different use and founded Biocon, India's biggest biotech company. She is now one of the richest and most powerful women in the world, who uses her influence on many business and management boards to stimulate social progress in India. Shaw avows a philosophy of affordable innovation and has started foundations, joined the billionaire giving pledge and been awarded many business accolades and honorific degrees.

Developing Inner Resources

If a leader sets an example of consistently calm enthusiasm and faith in their vision, I think it encourages others to emulate it. Inspirational leaders are centred in their vision and have the ability to extend that vision and energy to others, motivating them to pursue the same goals. Julie Anne Smith, the recently appointed CEO of biotech company Nuredis, sets an example on her mission to help cure rare diseases. She is currently turning her attention to disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, which will not only help millions of sufferers but will also assist the company to achieve prominence in its niche market.

Moving the Goalposts

An inspirational leader might also demonstrate a degree of flexibility in how goals are achieved, and perhaps move the goalposts to extend the reach of their employees. It's great to arrive at a predetermined destination, but there must always be something else to strive for, to keep everyone looking forward and not resting on their laurels. Furthermore, if things are not going well, it's time to make a radical change.

One of the biggest turn-around successes I've seen is Bristol Myers Squibb, who in the mid-noughties were losing substantial sales through patent expiries and disputes. Rather than diversifying their portfolio or opting for a merger, Head of Business Development Paul Biondi opted to move the goalposts, inspiring BMS with a bold decision to reshape their business and R&D activities to pure biopharma. In the ensuing years, the company sold off several sectors of its previously diversified business and used the profits to focus on R&D portfolios. As a result, BMS is now capitalised at around $100 billion, making it one of the world's largest biopharma businesses. 

These are only some of the actions and elements that combine to make an inspirational leader, and possessing any one of these qualities may amplify an individual's potential for leadership to the degree where they become inspirational. One of the other observations I have made over the years (and yes, I stole this quote from somebody else!) is that "A people hire A people and, B people hire B people”. This is so true, and I have had the pleasure of working with some really forward-thinking leaders when recruiting for their teams over the years.

What I think is most important is a combination of behaviours that others want to emulate, and the ability to motivate others to give their utmost to achieve better results.

I would like to publish some video interviews with the industry's most inspiring and innovative people, to gain some insights on their journey to success. Who would you nominate as the most inspirational leader (or leaders) you have worked for? Who has made the biggest, most positive impact on your career to date? Tag them in and show them some love! It's always nice to be recognised :-)