Discover the 10 critical elements of successful leadership

1. 10 critical elements of
leadership
Vmax Consulting
2 July 2014
2 July 2014

2. 10 critical elements of leadership
1. Clarity of vision
2. Visibility
3. Engagement
4. Courage
5. Integration
6. Sustainability
7. Value creation
8. Culture
9. Learning
10. Communication
2 July 2014

3. 1. Clarity of vision
The successful leader has a clear and compelling vision of where they want to take
the organisation. The vision provides an overarching context within which the
strategic goals and deployed operational plans are set.
The vision is an unambiguous “go to” position, and not an iterative development of
the business today with a range of issues resolved and problems addressed.
Never forget the importance of legacy. Do not build a vision that neglects the past
or rejects it as failure, instead value and build on past successes and provide
continuity.
2 July 2014

4. 2. Visibility
The successful leader is highly visible, with excellent awareness of their own
behaviours, and the impact of those behaviours on others. They understand that
they are the role model of the organisational culture and the necessity of complete
alignment of words and behaviours.
They demonstrate constancy of purpose and consistency of practice – having an
unerring focus on the strategic and operational objectives whilst concurrently
leading in a way which is consistent through time and consistent with the espoused
performance culture.
2 July 2014

5. 3. Engagement
The successful leader recognises
the fundamental importance of
engagement and strives to do this
on both logical and emotional
levels, understanding that both are
required to gain true commitment.
They are highly empathic and
understand keenly how to get the
very best levels of commitment
and engagement from their teams.
They purposefully create a
performance culture that engages
people throughout the business
and ensures that they strive to do
their very best to create business
value through aligned
contributions.
2 July 2014

6. 4. Courage
The successful leader has the
courage to make bold decisions
which deliver business success.
They constantly challenge the status
quo and the ‘way things are done
round here’ with an uncompromising
drive for performance excellence at
all levels. They deal with difficult
decisions in a timely manner, neither
prevaricating nor delaying, but
ensuring the right decision is taken
at the right time.
They understand that the pace and
scale of change is increasing
exponentially and strive to be at the
forefront through innovative and
creative approaches to shape
markets, satisfy customers, and
deliver value.
2 July 2014

7. 5. Integration
The successful leader understands how the business integrates with the extended
value chain. They create effective relationships within the value chain and the
broader commercial and economic context within which they operate, and use
these relationships to inform their strategy and practice with a focus on enhancing
reputational positioning and driving sustainable competitive advantage.
They look at business processes in an holistic way, and recognise that the
synergies gained through integration deliver value and seamless customer service.
2 July 2014

8. 6. Sustainability
The successful leader focuses on
creating sustainable competitive
advantage at all times and
measures business success in
strategic terms and over short,
medium and long-term planning
horizons.
They look for ideas and strategies
that create ongoing performance
capability and capacity across the
business which, in turn, enable
future success in an increasingly
challenging competitive
environment. Short term value is
desired but needs to concurrently
create a platform for longer term
growth and stability. In this way
they constantly protect the
continuity of the business
2 July 2014

9. 7. Value creation
The successful leader strives to
create value in everything they do,
and measures value against the
strategic and operational
objectives, as well as from the
perspective of key stakeholders.
They recognise that value is very
much more than a financial
measure and constantly scan their
competitive environment to
identify how value is perceived
and measured by their
shareholders and their customers.
They are open to innovative
approaches to create value and
recognise that simply repeating
the past results in a degradation
of their value proposition.
2 July 2014

10. 8. Culture
The successful leader understands their pivotal role in creating and sustaining the
performance culture of the business. They role model the culture and support and
challenge others to do likewise
They pay close attention to the definition of the performance culture and the
processes through which it is made tangible, relevant and enabling.
They have an unremitting focus on what is done and how it is done and act as
consistent, persistent and insistent champions of the performance culture.
2 July 2014

11. 9. Learning
The successful leader is dedicated
to an ongoing process of learning
and self-improvement at a personal
level and pushes their team and the
wider organisation to do likewise.
They reflect upon their leadership
practice and challenge themselves
to be the very best they can be.
They have an unremitting focus on
driving performance to new heights
and learn from both success and
failure as they strive along this
journey.
They create a ‘high challenge – high
support’ culture which is aligned
with the strategy and within which
everybody understands not just
what to do, but how to do it.
2 July 2014

12. 10. Communication
The successful leader recognises the difference between openness and honesty.
They will be transparent when it is appropriate to be so, but are always honest and
authentic in their communications.
They tailor their approach and style to suit the audience and focus on ensuring that
they connect and engage rather than simply tell. They are acutely interested in
others and listen attentively and empathically so that they can understand
situations form a range of perspectives.
Engagement is of paramount importance and they provide others with rich content
and richer context.
2 July 2014

13. Experts in leadership.
Experts in change.
Vmax Consulting are specialists, with world class expertise in leadership
capability and organisational change.
Our range of services includes:
• Assessment of individuals, teams and organisations
• Advice and support for senior leaders and management teams
• Leadership coaching to drive performance growth
• Developing individual and organisational change and leadership capability
• Providing the expertise and resources to deliver and support your most critical projects
2 July 2014
Assess Advise Coach Develop Deliver
+44 (0)1925 426006 info@vmaxconsulting.com www.vmaxconsulting.com