Business mentor: Softer leadership style replaces controlling authority figure

I am a small business owner with limited staff and resources. Recently I read with interest about New Zealand Leadership Week. But as I am already stretched, what are a few key things that I should know about leadership that will make a positive difference to my business?

Small business sector specialist Sarah Trotman, spoke to Lesley Slade, chief executive of Leadership New Zealand, for some advice:

Leadership is not an optional extra - it is a vital ingredient in achieving sustainable results and enduring outcomes. Leadership is the exceptional factor which makes teams, companies and communities great. And what business owner doesn't want to achieve that outcome?

Rod Oram talks about the need for New Zealand to create more value - and how does that happen? People make it happen. People create value and leaders create the environment which enables people to create value.

So what do leaders need? Certainly they need energy, courage, passion, resilience and innovative thinking - all of which are necessary to change ideas and visions into tangible reality.

Leaders are committed and life-long learners - they know what they don't know and have an insatiable curiosity to find out more. Leaders have well developed self-knowledge. And they listen, really listen.

They facilitate and promote collective vision. They are humble, build relationships based on trust and inspire others to go the extra mile. Leaders know that diversity builds creativity. Leaders are optimistic. And leaders embrace risk-taking tinged with good judgment.

Leaders are not motivated by power and authority - that is the old hackneyed model. Leaders are inclusive and value partnerships. They also know that their role is to serve and give, as opposed to be served and take.

New Zealand historian Margaret Hayward wrote her thesis on "Is there such a thing as a New Zealand style of leadership?" and her research was illuminating. She found that New Zealanders expect their leaders to be modest, strong, likeable, down to earth and open to what we have to say.

She also found there were common characteristics among the leaders she studied. They were good relationship builders, had done the hard yards and proved themselves, were persistent and committed.

Whatever our industry or sector, we live in an increasingly complex world. A leader's role is to help others make sense of the complexity and to show them a way to a positive future. If our future depends on creating more value, we must invest in the growth of our leadership capability and grow the leadership capability of others.