In this week’s article Aine Kiely O’Donnell discusses the innovative leadership of a business. She looks at the importance, in the current climate, of the focus of leaders, and how the culture they create is key to the success of completing the journey through the pandemic crisis for a brighter 2021.

To Begin “Check your VITALS” what is your status:

  1. Liquidity and Cash
  2. Access to Capital – Review Grants and Business Supports, Bank Restructures
  3. Operational Innovation, review react and adapt to new ops process
  4. Team

Next move to Focus on Leaders and the delivery of the vision and strategy of their business in the current climate.

Focus on Leaders

Recently, we were reflecting on the many leaders we have met over the years, and how the successful leaders have differed to those that were not so successful. Successful leaders have recurring characteristics, aside from passion, drive, and motivation for what they do, the key differentiators for successful business people:  Purpose, Culture, and Communication.

  1. Purpose
  2. Culture
  3. Communication

Use this time effectively to learn from previous successes and consider what successes you want for your business.  Successful leaders know success and how to work through a crisis. They know that they need more energy and focus than in the past.

The focus being a purposeful leadership and the ability to control:

Key Areas for Purpose & Control

  1. Limitations in knowledge – Research & Get Informed
  2. Influencers of change and understanding the political and legislative impacts
  3. Understand the economic changes both national & international and their impact on business
  4. Identify inertia in your business or the marketplace – what happens if you do nothing?
  5. Operations and Supply Chains – time and delays – Brexit an Outlier – the next 6 months will see significant changes to supply chains and the ways people do business.

Knowledge is key and taking in the research you will identify the opportunities that are available to business, the aim is first-mover advantage on opportunities that present themselves and understanding the risk.

The second characteristic we discussed is on leadership and focus is the Culture.

Culture

  1. Leaders Capability – Leaders need Energy and focus to navigate through the crisis
  2. Focus and communication to stakeholders, adaptive to keep focus
  3. Clarity in communications, updates and support to Stakeholders and the online Team
  4. Team meetings and communications – ‘Town Hall Meetings’ – Plans and Strategy

Communications – Providing Structure

Targets & Performance Monitoring in Place  – Providing Structure to the Team

  1. Keep Targets and Performance – Communicate
  2. Team Comms on Redeployment, Assessment on Capability and Change
  3. Steering Team ,  Critical Projects Charter, Routine and Sense of Purpose Communication of Strategy
  4. Utilise systems like MS365 Teams and Briefings – CRM packages and updates / Two way Feedback
  5. Policy and Protocols Outlined – Training and Communication
  6. Leadership Team Expansion for Focus – Delegate Leadership to Appropriate Personnel –
  7. Cost Cutting Measures require time and consideration to the parties involved. Be loyal to the loyalty received in the past from Employees and Contractors
  8. Network learning – Double Loop Learning

Business is changing and there is a new norm, as with all change, the ability to engage and adapt is key. Company culture and communication is critical to success in adapting to the new norm.  Your business is for your customers so outlined below are areas for Customer Focus

  1. Communication, not hierarchical sense, focus on an inclusive approach engaging relevant parties.
  2. Customers – Discussion, support, and introducing new supports if needed
  3. Customer and shocks to the current products/markets
  4. Value Added Service that can be provided in your Team to Clients communications
  5. After Sales Services that can be given – mindful of cost controls
  6. Feedback, position your staff to get information and analysis of this for decision-making purposes, the Double Loop network organisation.

This is the first part of a two-part article.  You can read the second article by clicking here. 

Talk to AAL about How We Can Help

Get in touch with us by calling 052 61 37775 or email Áine at [email protected] or you can complete the form below and we will get back to you.