A question of leadership
Article Date: Jun 04 2009As Gordon Brown takes yet another pounding, we would all do well to heed the lessons of his leadership.
To give Brown his due, he was the leader the UK and indeed the world needed back in the last period of 2008. Together with Darling, Paulson and others, he helped to prevent the then guaranteed meltdown of the global financial system. (In such circumstances one can perhaps forgive the chancellor for ‘getting his sums wrong’ over his expenses).
Leadership is about fast action and timing, and they all found the ‘hand of history’ on their shoulders and acted. It is extremely unlikely that Cameron, Bush or Blair could have acted or understood the seriousness of that moment. (It should be noted that both Bush and Blair had a much better sense of timing, in that they got out of their jobs in time).
But whether the spring bank insurance interventions and effective mortgaging of the UK will pay off in the long run remains to be seen – and in recent weeks, Brown seems to have lost his way.
As any owner-manager worth their salt will know, communication is everything. Especially in times like these. Keeping your staff updated on exactly where your company stands and what strategies you have in place alleviates their fears and creates a sense of confidence in your ability as a capable leader. Having a strong, united team behind you is absolutely essential. Posting a reassuring clip on YouTube just isn’t going to cut it.
Similarly, leadership involves acting quickly and making some tough decisions. If people aren’t performing and your company is haemorrhaging cash, you can’t afford to sit around and wait for things to correct themselves. Brown’s slow response to the expenses scandal illustrates this point perfectly. Both Labour and the Conservatives have been equally implicated here, but Brown’s failure to act decisively meant losing serious ground against his opponents.
In business, such failures in leadership lead to liquidations.
