Vision of Leadership

A person’s way of leadership I believe is shaped by their personalities and past working experiences. A person cannot lead well if they lack good leadership qualities (Grensing-Pophal, 2022). To improve on that, we need constant self-reflection, accept our weaknesses, be open to criticism, and take action to change ourselves. Many of us may have more experience of being led than leading teams, but it’s our choice how we want to lead. What kind of leaders we want to be, an authoritarian leader or a transformational leader? What is your vision of leadership and how do you measure success?

My leadership vision:

• Lead with Authenticity
• Promote effective communication and encourage innovation
• Be a role model

Figure 1 – Generation Matrix (doyleleadership, n.d.)

My Anatomy of Leadership

a)      Listening on all grounds, no matter good or bad

Decision-making is an important aspect of leadership. Most decisions are made from the top, and are mainly based on one-dimensional perceptions that are usually filtered and unchecked. Therefore, constant feedbacks and follow-up will aid in creating a good decision-making process, which strengthens the relationship, enforce trust and teamwork, increase credibility, loyalty and empathy (Sax, 2018; Cook, 2022). As a leader, I need to be on the ground constantly and hear comments from all angles prior to decision-making.

b)     Let the digits tell

Data is everywhere in this new generation of the Internet and connected things. As leaders for current and newer generations, we would need to look into the data from different angles to detect obstacles and opportunity, improve agility and efficiency, helps to navigate uncertainties (Johnston, 2023; Dennis, 2022). With data available, it forms one of the basis for the decisions and improvement for the team.

c)      The need for analysis before change

Effective data use is foundational for change. However, sometimes new changes (without precedence) should be considered table stakes and might be overly analyzed. The focus should be on doing work properly, efficiently and timely. “Bureaucrats can torture people with analysis, stifling innovation, new products, testing and intuition,” said Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan (Horswill, 2021).

d)     Portray Confidence and Be Responsible

Leaders having clear vision and confidence are the strongest manifestation of authenticity and credibility. However, we must prevent confidence turning into arrogance (Adam Bryant, 2021). As leaders, we take responsibility for our mistakes. Admittance and learning from mistakes allow us to focus on finding an appropriate solution and become better (ENGAGEMENT MULTIPLIER, 2022).

e)     Be Patient and active in communication

Patience about the outcome is another trait of a true leader. Without patience, a leader will lose composure when faced with frustration or adversity (Sluss, 2020). Also, a true leader need to establish good communication to provide clear directions, enforce trust and enhance collaboration, conflict resolution, improve customer relationships and goal alignments (Singapore Management University, 2022). I believe that using technology bridging distance, effective communication could be made easier, allowing members to provide timely comments (both good or bad) about my management style and the projects I handled.

f)       Stay Positive

Positivity is helpful in creating optimism and building energy, enthusiasm and passion within the team. It’s our job to inspire our members and focus on long-term goals instead of sharing too many of the storm clouds (Adam Bryant, 2021). The biggest challenge of leaders is to prevent over-zealous of non-realistic goals, this prevents failure and demoralizes them (Sen, 2022). Checks and balances must be in place to ensure my members’ ability to commit to the directions set.

Futuristic Leadership

Learning from feedback, I turned to be a democratic leader as my past was autocratic, as my team is comprised of employees of different generations, cultures and countries. Besides knowing how to do a job and guide them, I now focus on inspiring, motivating and acknowledging their efforts at small wins which is helpful in efficient task completion. This improves team spirit while minimising conflicts and competition within them. Frequent communication improves collaboration and understanding, which is vital in managing diverse teams. They feel more comfortable sharing opinions and accepting others’ ideas and adaptive to changes. Sharing common goals, purpose and values, members will put in their best effort. Also, be a role model. Be humble, genuine, supportive and compassionate to subordinates. Listen and not criticise. Foster a happy and cohesive environment for working, learning and progressing, all parties benefit.

Figure 2 – Jim Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase during an interview (Horswill, 2021)

Conclusion

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan is a good example of true leader who led JP Morgan through financial crises, regulatory challenges, and technological disruptions and even survived a heart attack during his tenure. He has both transactional and transformational traits and is charismatic. His key to leadership in 5 different aspects; admitting mistakes and moving on, humanizing skills over specialized skills, focusing on intensity, succession planning and expressing gratitude to people who helped get him (Aribisala, 2023; Chapman, 2020). According to Adam Bryan, author of ‘The CEO Test’, the very best leaders are selfless and it’s about the people we lead (Adam Bryant, 2021). From Jamie Dimon, I would put the focus on leading myself and others for the greater good.