“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”
– Dolly Parton
In celebration of women’s month, we look back on the article on leadership written by our director, Jana Doussy, as published on the South African Council for Business Women’s website on 5 April 2022.
I am a 35 year old woman, and Director in a law firm that is a 132 years old. Mostly the field of Law is a male dominant sphere, in this case we are 4 Woman Directors, running the show. All 4 of us have our own leadership styles and somehow it works. Since times immemorial thought leaders have philosophized the topic of leadership and its importance in the world of work. This is especially important when viewed from the context that every facet of everyday life as we know it is a result of decisions made by leaders in varying capacities and sectors. Despite the voluminous discourse of the matter leadership remains complex and highly nuanced due to its ever changing characteristic.
Undoubtedly, a one size fits all approach to leadership will never yield the intended result. My approach to leadership is modeled around the following statement by Tom Peters, “Leaders don’t create followers. They create more leaders.” I deduce and actively pursue the following principles from this one statement:
- Focusing on the strengths of each individual member of a team. Undoubtedly, each individual has a unique gifting and skill set and a team member’s ability to add value to a team is best enhanced when they do what they thrive in whilst remaining challenged to ensure growth. Such an approach builds and strengthens morale amongst team members as they are able to see that the real time impact of their contribution.
- Prioritizing conversation. Humanizing oneself when leading a team builds trust which ultimately impacts on the morale and enthusiasm of a team. Earnestly seeking to learn more about those you lead creates a sense of belonging and value amongst team members.
- Culture and context take prominence. Much like how each team member has a unique gifting and skill set each team members context is difference, it is therefore paramount to understand each person’s context in view of working together to build a sustainable work culture that is inclusive and diverse.
- Building the big picture together. Often times there is a tendency to want to limit the understanding of the dream, however, a better approach is to share the full scope of the dream you have as a leader, have those you lead adopt it and take part ownership in actualizing the dream.
“The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign — even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.” These tried and tested words of Bill Taylor remain true serve as a mantra as beyond the interpersonal requirements of leadership (which are of great importance) a true leader is an innovator that seeks progressive change and a better value proposition.
Ultimately, a leader is a nuanced individual that is hyper intentional about the role they play and the approach(es) used when leading a team!
By: Jana Doussy, Director and Head of the Intellectual Property Law and Commercial Law Department.