Where are all the decent leaders at?

I was thinking about the quality of leadership the other day.?

As a kid, I worked on the markets, I’d carry boxes & pack away for stallholders after school. It wasn’t glamorous andmy friends didn’t envy me - but it taught me something that has stayed with me to this day: hard work isn’t something to fear— it’s just what you do. It’s how you get to what you desire. Those early days taught me to work hard, think on my feet, find solutions & make things happen - no matter the obstacle.?

Over the years I’ve had various bosses, some bad and some good, and I've learnt from them all.?

However the best bosses teach you more than how to do the job - they demonstrate how to be a good boss in your own right: they show you how to handle yourself, how to think critically when faced with challenges and, most of all, how to lead and look after their people when the shit hits the fan. When that's absent and a boss fails to step up, everyone suffers. Problems get passed down the line to junior members of staff who find themselves in situations they’re not equipped to handle. Errors compound, morale takes a nose dive and everyone stops caring. This is the textbook definition of a toxic culture: No one takes risks, nobody learns and no one grows.?

It’s cheesy I know, but the best bosses really do ‘lead from the front’, they take responsibility. They make things happen, they stand up and deal with the problems themselves - they don’t hide behind or blame their junior staff, inother words - they aren’t cowards.?

I felt like writing this because it seems many of these virtues are sadly lacking in today’s leaders. Not all, of course, but certainly in my experience, a significant portion of people in important roles don’t have the chops to do their jobs properly.?

My work is fairly unique, I'm lucky enough to come into contact with all types of businesses and people. I meet with high street brands & retailers, with regional distributors and global wholesalers. I talk to people in high fashion and those who sell goods by the tonne. With senior officers in the financial sector, managers of commercial property portfolios and those working for local authorities and charities. Everywhere I look I see a crisis of competency.

Organisations which consistently won ‘best workplace’ awards in the past are now suffering from chronic morale problems and a business in permanent decline.?

Why? Lack of leadership at the very top. How? Could it be 5 times in 8 years their entire staff was put on consultation? That suggests that someone doesn't know what they are doing.?

Manufacturing companies undergoing root and branch restructuring (a fancy way of saying ‘making lots of redundancies’) to find investment. Their directors spent a decade solely focused on their ‘exit strategy’ rather than addressing the cultural and systemic problems that were starting to manifest because they took their eye on the ball. They turned a blind eye to issues they knew existed because they thought they’d be out the door before they had to deal with them. A dereliction of duty and leadership.

Companies which on the face of it are the darlings of their industry; with rapid growth and successful investment rounds - but a look under the hood and you see a business that’s heading straight for bankruptcy. Why? Because their leaders can’t get their shit together and a grip on the many problems starting to compound. Another example of a lack of leadership.

I could go on but you get the picture.

In contrast, I’ve seen leaders walk into failing businesses that had completely lost control - cashflow and stock in a mess & on the verge of going out of business. Instead of hiding the problems they were facing, they sat everyone down and were honest about the situation the company was in. About what action was needed and how it would affect people.They explained their plan to fix things and, crucially, made it clear they believed in the business and valued the people in it.?

The result? Most of the staff backed them, got stuck in and took pride in being part of the turnaround.?

To me, that’s what real leadership looks like.

Why is this happening? Well, we know educational standards have been falling for decades and that certainly a component. But there’s a generational trend that's also contributing to this decline. The book ‘The Fourth Turning’ by William Strauss and Neil Howe explains perfectly how this decline is part of an ongoing societal cycle which repeats every 100 years or so. How each generation (or turning) responds to - and is shaped by - the challenges of its time, and how we are now in the ‘crisis’ phase of this cycle - where weak leadership has left many institutions and corporations floundering. Weak leaders create environments where innovation stalls, where morale slides and the brightest minds either burn out or leave. You only have to look at our political leaders to see this demonstrated - regardless of your political persuasion, you’d have to admit that this crop of politicians is not a patch on those that came before 1, 2 or certainly 3 generations ago.?

The phrase ‘Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times’ is a succinct summary of this process, (again, if you weren’t sure, we are currently in the ‘hard times’ part). This process is evident in every aspect of society, and businesses don’t get a pass on its effects.

But this isn’t about blaming younger generations. Many of the leaders failing us today are seasoned professionals who should know better - but they’ve decided to keep their heads down and take the money instead of standing up and being counted.

Without proper leaders in important positions, we have come to a point where even talented people are confined to their silos and have developed a ‘that’s not my job’ mentality. They are uninspired and without respect for their upper management. Who can blame them? The absence of strong direction at the top has led to rot setting in at all levels. The overriding culture has now become one of CMA (covering my ass) rather than wanting to stick their head above the parapet. Roles are occupied by careerists who are more concerned with what their resume & LinkedIn profile look like rather than effecting any meaningful change.

Real talent and leadership potential are not entering these organisations at all, or they are leaving them to start their own companies. And who can blame them?

So how do we fix this? Maybe we can’t. Maybe we shouldn’t even try.?

I think some of these organisations have only got themselves to blame and will reap what they sow. Some are too stuck in their ways to change - ultimately they won’t or can’t make the changes needed to avoid oblivion. It’s better to get out of these businesses and let them fail so that new, more dynamic businesses can rise in their place. Not all businesses are beyond saving though, and the ones that survive will be led by those willing to do the hard work of embracing the changes needed. These leaders will be courageous and pragmatic, they’ll be focused on building a sustainable future for the business and its people.?

Another great book which speaks to these times perfectly is Jeff Booth’s ‘The Price Of Tomorrow’ - in it, he highlights the exponential growth of technology and how the world is currently undergoing the latest phase of ‘creative destruction’ - where established industries and technologies are being disrupted and destroyed to make way for newer and better ways of working. He uses Kodak as an example of how, with over 80% market share - they failed to see the value or importance of the digital camera when an employee invented it. And how that technology ultimately led to their destruction.?

Kodak ignoring the potential of digital photography is the perfect example of a corporation led by people too concerned with their own jobs and short-term goals to see their world was about to change forever. It’s not about failing to innovate - it’s about failing to lead.

Out with the old. In with the new. Creative destruction isn’t just about ripping down - it's about building something better. So, for those with leadership aspirations, this is your moment to step up, innovate and create new organisations or take positions that inspire people rather than drive them away.

Now has never been a better time to create something new for yourself, the old ways are failing and you know all the reasons why. This is what gives you the edge - you have learnt how NOT to do it. You’ve learnt from their mistakes.

Yes, starting a business is scary, but that’s why it's worth doing - fear is what's keeping your competition from filling that gap in the market.?

Yes, it's scary to put yourself out there & apply for that position, but if you've found yourself agreeing with what I've written? - you're already halfway there.?

The time is now - because whilst most are paralysed with fear, leaders will be taking action.