How should the perfect leader be? Everyone has their own opinion in this regard, but the ideal profile has been summarized and packed into ten bullet points by Wyser (a company of the Gi Group who searches for and selects middle and upper management) based upon its own daily contact with middle management and corporate executives.
The keyword is leadership which is increasingly linked to the subject of responsibility and understood both as an element for employee retention and within the context of widespread Corporate Social Responsibility.
For Carlo Caporale, senior director of Wyser in Italy:
Developed markets now categorically reject people who do not have an ethical behaviour which can reflect negatively on the business. The culture of ethical responsibility and leadership ensures the company’s and the management’s commitment to the protection of their employees and stakeholders; a factor that, while contributing to the good reputation of the company itself, certainly improves its performance.
Here is the rulebook for the ideal leader:
1. Leadership by example: true motivation comes from example and from a clear sharing of the corporate values and vision.
2. Transparency: communication has always been considered the essential lubricant for the proper operation of the corporate machine, although it is often the most difficult aspect to achieve and is often lacking in the analysis of corporate strategies.
3. Focus on the achievement of results: be goal-oriented and driven with cool calculation, avoiding stress and excessive emotionalism that can destabilize co-workers.
4. Impartiality: use objective performance evaluation metrics for the whole team.
5. Organization: know how to schedule your own work and that of others’, having a very clear understanding of resources, responsibilities and deadlines, and respecting internal and external schedules and appointments.
6. Listening skills: pay attention to co-workers at pre-established times and places, but without becoming a confessor or, worse, a big brother.
7. Decision-making: a perfect leader is not allowed any uncertainties, but must display assertiveness and authority.
8. Ethics: a value which has also assumed a key role in the corporate world as an intrinsic element of business success.
9. Empathy: knowing how to recognize and pre-empt the needs of co-workers allows you to get the best out of them.
10. Fun: an aspect that is often undervalued and considered unprofessional and unimportant, yet knowing how to introduce an element of fun and passion helps cement the team and increase engagement, involvement and a sense of belonging.
