Debra Buckley
CEO of the New Zealand Institute of Management and Leadership.
www.nzimleadership.co.nz
Entrepreneurship, relationships or leadership? Which one steers the mainsail?
Much like the principal sail on a ship, entrepreneurship is seen as the driver for many new business leaders and innovators. It’s the passion or belief in an unexplored destiny that drives an entrepreneur to seek.
That being said, it is relationships that provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity for collaboration, funding, innovation and eventually selling an idea or product. Even in a world primarily driven by technology, the greatest power comes from our ability to connect with people.
Can an entrepreneur be an effective leader if their focus is on an outcome or an achievement?
In my view, they can – providing they have capability in the final ‘ship’.
Leadership is like the anchor holding vision and relationships together. Achieving results or advancing in an organisation will depend more on your ability to lead others and build a relationship, than to just come up with a new idea.
In a recent conversation I had with a new leader, he was challenged in his own thinking. Should he focus on innovation and support the long term company objective, spend more time connecting to industry experts where he could build on his own intellectual property, or focus on building his ability to lead and delegate? I had to pause for a moment before responding.
I asked him “why can’t you do all three?”
Prioritise them for sure, and remember you have a day job which you need to perform however, you may find that if you are focused on innovation, your peer experts may provide you with an insightful sounding board.
If you focus on improving your ability as a leader, the increase in your communication skills will in turn enhance your ability to build professional relationships.
He pushed again, “yes, but which ‘ship’ carries the most weight?”
I took a moment to reflect; for me the big win is in relationships; being the person who identifies and removes obstacles and is known as the one who fosters an environment where others excel, wins every time.
Developing your talent to deepen relationships is a mechanism to self-improvement, because when your focus is on listening and gaining information, you are seen as a team player.
When you strive to build relationships and don’t view people as a resource, you will be seen as the connector of all three ‘ships’.
If you can connect the person with a great idea to the person who can lead it to fruition, you will build a relationship that lasts and that will be your greatest achievement.
