Establishments take the form of the kind of leadership at the helm of affairs of the establishment, just like a ship goes in the direction dictated by the captain. A ship either arrives at its destination or becomes a wreck, all due to the expertise of the captain. Just imagine a ship with a captain that doesn't understand the waters, or simply doesn't know where to go and how to get there? It is already a doomed ship before it even sets sail. And that is exactly the case with organizations. They take the shape of the leader. Not just failing companies, but companies that are excellent as well. They are all a product of the calibre of leaders at the helm of affairs. In as much as we tend to look outside to find a solution to the problem of a faltering company that's doing below its average market share in its industry, the problem is seldom outside the company. It is seldom with the competitors, or the politics, society's preference, or technological issues. All of these things are gaps that are easily addressed and easily closed. Long-standing worms eating away at the health of the organization are almost always within the organization, from the leadership at the top level. Why? Oil trickles from the top. As a leader or group of leaders, your employees do exactly what they see you do. Your values inform and largely influence how you run your company, and how you run your company informs how your staff will behave with your resources. You cannot keep playing in the dirt and expect a healthy internal organ. Unconsciously, your value, your work ethics, your motivations, or lack of it thereof, the type of things that drive your motivation as a leader, the things that catch your attention, your manner of thinking, will eventually rub off on your staff, and your company as a whole. In 2019, research on the impact of leadership on organizational performance was conducted by Umar Abbas Ibrahim and Cross Ogohi Daniel, and in that research, they explained that, "many organizations has failed due to ineffective leadership style of the management team of such organization and institution on such situation, the workers are not well organized, controlled or coordinated, the effect of this attitude arises from ineffective leadership style, low productivity, high operating cost, uncooperative attitude of employees etc. All these at the long run leads to the closure of the organisation. Some organizations are faced with the problem of sourcing for competent leaders who have personality, knowledge, intelligence and experience to lead." Even they understood how it was that leadership in an organization drives the success or failure of that organization. And what encompasses a leader, if not a person who has dealt truly with himself and can lead through his convictions? The truth is, in as much as we are tempted to see our leadership roles in our organizations and how we lead our personal life as two completely separate entities, they are, the same because unlike robots, we cannot switch from one mode to another. It is simply us, and our attitudes in one part of our life rub off on all the others. Therefore, when you realize that something is awry with your company, you're not making enough sales, clients are bellyaching about the terrible customer service, you're not meeting production goals, there's a huge turnover, but not the kind that you want. Instead of getting turnover in form of revenue, you're getting turnover in form of staff members, and you notice that the best people are moving out of the company in frustration, the very first thing you should think of, the very first place you should look at, is you. Again, why? Oil trickles from the top. The top-level management dictates the atmosphere of every other level of the company. This is saying simply that the quality of the top-level management, of the captain driving the ship, is the quality of the company you get. What you communicate, consciously or unconsciously to the various people in your organization translates into what you see in the accounts of your company, translates into what you see in form of clients, and eventually, your reputation in the industry. What is the remedy, then? Developing great and competent leadership for your company, and Jim Collins, in his book, "Good to Great" called them the "Level 5 Leaders". Of the Level 5 Leaders, Jim wrote, "the key trait of Level 5 leaders: ambition first and foremost for the company and concern for its success rather than for ones riches and personal renown. Level 5 leaders want to see the company even more successful in the next generation, comfortable with the idea that most people wont even know that the roots of that success trace back to their efforts." As a leader, you must develop the kind of character that translates into success for the company. Your ambition must be towards the success of the company, and you must act in that manner. You must become exactly what you demand of the good and competent people working in your establishment. What kinds of people do you want in your organization? Become them, and then will the people who are already there transform into what they see. This is because oil trickles from the top, and with enough oil, with the right oil, the engine of your company will function effectively, with zero friction. This won't apply to every single employee, though, unfortunately. If after taking the necessary steps, you realize the people you have hired have not been affected by the new oil, they are the wrong people on the bus, and according to Jim Collins, to figure out where your company wants to go, you need to first get the right people on the bus. Get the wrong people off the bus, and get in the right people. It's the principle of "First Who, then What". Once you have sorted yourself and the who, you will figure out the what that will lead your company to its desired heights. Remember, you must first look within. The problem is usually within, and so you must look to yourself, to the leadership structure, to the top-level management of your organization, sort out becoming exactly the kind of staff members you want to see. Develop the exact kind of attitude that will lead your company to greatness, then watch how the people already there become affected by the new atmosphere. The ones who do not fit in are the wrong people on your bus. Get them out and get the right people in, and then watch wonders. Since oil trickles from the top, figure out the kind of oil you want to get trickled. Start the change at the very top. Start with you. Abiola Okunsanya For ResourcePRO
