EP Perspective June 2017

EMERGING LEADER: FAISEL CHOUDHRY
estimated skill set and knowledge of middle management fell by an
estimated 30%. New leaders were simply not being prepared. On top
of that, process and risk management have almost hindered teams
learning and accountability.
Now is the time to re-assess how great teams can be developed and
new leaders nurtured. Britain’s businesses need to be competitive
and this requires a greater and more thoughtful strategic approach
towards the human asset.
And hence the importance of Faisel’s work as it touches on this
subject and is being written by one of the modern emerging leaders.
As part of the research, Faisel interviewed participants from
board level down to senior management level with an almost equal
breakdown in gender (male and female).
So what were the key findings from the study for consideration?
Some of the findings were as one would expect:
n The results demonstrated a direct link between a line manager’s
leadership and positive outcomes such as increased commitment
through positive communication and the opposite being true with a
negative approach.
n Empowerment behaviour had a direct link with increased commitment.
n Training/supportive behaviour linked to positive increase in
commitment/job performance and satisfaction.
n A clarity of vision/direction was shown to have positive effects.
n A direct link between the line manager’s Emotional Intelligence
abilities and increased employee commitment – most especially
expressed via “empathy”.
However, these were supported by a number of thought provoking
and very relevant points for the modern era:
Competitive advantage in today’s world can be gained through
committed employees increasing organisational performance.
Therefore, there is a real need for companies to work harder with
their human capital and through key leadership behaviours and
training seek to improve overall performance.
This is an interesting observation as one can make the argument
this was the bedrock principles of success from the 1980s when
training and the development of the human asset was seen to sit at
the core of business. The Forte Empire is a great example of such a
philosophy. This arguably became lost in the 2000s when Britain
was in a period of a sustained boom, and maybe some of the core
principles that lay in the foundations of business were forgotten and
are only now getting renewed.
The leaders of the 1970s and 80s lived through some dark
days from the three day week to the oil crisis to three recessions.
These were some of the hardest times in post war Britain and
this generation of leader lay their belief in training and the
importance of teams. It is no coincidence that there is a new rising
belief in how the companies can support human capital. However,
the difference is that there is greater awareness of the need for
flexibility and understanding of individuals that play key roles
within organisations. Arguably this is a more complex period of
time with employees of many different cultures and religions,
and therefore there needs to be greater education and emotional
intelligence displayed.
In his work, Faisel notes how leadership theory has evolved and
developed considerably over time. It is true, it has from the days when
the qualities of the leader were analysed to how leaders responded
in differing situations to research on behaviours and functionality,
through to the modern theory of the transactional/transformational
approach to leadership and its further evolution into gender, culture,
integrative and emerging forms. Faisel rightly argues that the
evolution is driven by the macro-environmental factors that leaders
operate within. It all just serves to emphasise the importance that
the HR function can play in the modern business. There has never
been a more important time to develop greater approaches to the
development of talent and teams.
Communication skills are critical to increased commitment.
The communication style should be:
n Authentic
n Clear
n There needs to be a conscious acknowledgement that remote
working should not lead to a decrease in face to face opportunities
n It is simply not enough for an organisation to produce a vision
statement. It must be an active part of an employee’s day-to-day
interaction with and for the organisation.
n Through empowerment, it is important that managers encourage
employees to take risks and not to create a blame culture.
n Training/supportive behaviours are critical to commitment.
Organisations need to have formal structured yet flexible training
programmes.
n Treating employees as individuals.
n Organisations need to understand that whilst Emotional
Intelligence (EI) can be taught, it is not an easy process. There is a
need for self-awareness within management.
Faisel writes: “As all individuals are unique, so too are their needs.
Leaders must adapt their style and behaviours accordingly and
those leaders with EI will be best placed to do this through greater
levels of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and
social skill to develop and inspire their employee’s commitment,
thus leading to increased productivity and in the end, to personal and
organisational success.”
One of the aspects that make Faisel’s work stand out is that at its
heart it lies with the pursuit of knowledge. He writes:
“You should be more knowledgeable today than you were yesterday,
and more knowledgeable tomorrow than you are today, since if you do
not make some improvements on a daily basis, in effect you are going
backwards; the world would have changed and improved and you
would not have progressed accordingly”
One of the other great debates that has been going on is the challenge
in managing Millennials in comparison to the skills and behaviours
possessed by the Baby Boom generation. Arguably the Baby Boom
generation was driven more by an action culture that reflected the
ethos of the 1980s being about personal responsibility and personal
accountability. It was about creating actions to power growth in wealth
and the economy. It was Thatcher’s ethos. It wasn’t all good; it wasn’t
all bad but for a period of time it was very effective. This generation has
led the industry for close to twenty years very successfully. Their legacy
is safe and secure as having been at the heart of a golden era.
The problem is, this is a different era with a different ethos. The
emerging generations do look at life in a very different way – one
where knowledge and community sit at the heart. Faisel is an example
of this new breed. Faisel is certainly not afraid of actions having
worked hard to build his career, complete his MBA whilst working
and playing a role in mentoring other young leaders. He is as action
focused as anyone. The difference is that his outlook is different and at
the heart lies a desire to learn and improve.
The Millennials have taken some intense criticism in recent
times – some of it is fair, they do often lack the life skills that the
Baby Boomers naturally possessed but is this their fault or have they
been more protected in their developmental years? However, this is
also one of the first generations to emerge from University with debt
and they view life with, not concern or stress, but a greater belief in
knowledge, globalisation, community and social agenda. There is a
belief in the good from capitalism being combined with the good from
social agendas to create new solutions.
The whole concept really started growing again in the mid to late
1990s and great examples include:
n The Eden project
n John Lewis Partnership
n The Big Issue
n Co-op
n Cafedirect >
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