PR is everything to great leadership: Purpose and Responsibility that is

I’m regularly asked about leadership and I have my views about it – things that I have learnt from trial and error (and there have been many errors over the years) – but I was delighted to attend a PwC event which hosted author of Conscious Business, Dr Fred Kofman this week.

Kofman’s basic premise is twofold: Firstly that great leaders take responsibility for their actions, as well as how they choose to react to any situation that presents itself. 

Secondly, a clear sense of purpose is critical to successful leadership. A leader cannot buy commitment (as I have said many times– “no amount of money will keep people happy long-term if you don’t capture their hearts and minds”, and “discretionary effort is something people choose to give, it is not something you can ask for”). Which means that it is up to the leader to inspire people to “the noble cause”.

“If a leader demonstrates that his purpose is noble, that the work will enable people to connect with something large – more permanent than their material existence – people will give the best of themselves to the enterprise,” notable psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi said.

Clearly the actions we take as a leader speak very loudly to those around us.

My father told me as a child, “Do as a say not as I do”. Which he said tongue-in-cheek, but I always a bit confused by this – my mother would say, “people will judge you by the jobs you don’t like doing – not the ones you do”… As great people said:

“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” Emerson.

“We must be the change we want to see in the world.” Gandhi.

Simply ‘Actions speak louder than words’ which both my parents drilled into me.

As leaders what we ‘do’ moment by moment creates the culture around us. I cannot expect people to arrive on time for a meeting if I do not do so myself. I must pitch in a lead by example if we are in need of extra support in answering customer emails. Quite simply our actions set the tone – and the values.

As the leadership team goes so goes the rest of the organisation. So the question remains do you operate from a clear sense of purpose and do you take responsibility?

Too often people blame the circumstance or someone else – because somehow we find it difficult to fess up to ‘I stuffed up’. So often we find excuses to justify our own behavior.

How would it be different if you said to yourself, “Anything that affects me is my problem and I am part of the problem”.

Consider: “You are the pilot to your own life.”

Consider: “What is your businesses noble purpose?”

How would you explain to your child your company’s purpose in a way that makes you proud?

Naomi Simson is considered one of Australia’s ‘Best Bosses’. She is an employee engagement advocate and practices what she preaches in her own business. RedBalloon has been named as one of only six Hewitt Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand for 2009 and awarded an engagement scorecard of over 90% two years in a row – the average in Australian businesses is 55%. RedBalloon has also been nominated by BRW as being in the top 10 Best Places to Work in Australia behind the likes of Google. One of Australia’s outstanding female entrepreneurs, Naomi regularly entertains as a passionate speaker inspiring people on employer branding, engagement and reward and recognition. Naomi writes a blog and is a published author – and has received many accolades and awards for the business she founded – RedBalloon.com.au.