On Leadership: Anne Craig

Leadership
Anne Craig

I met an impressive army officer recently receiving his DSO from the Queen for services in Afghanistan. He exuded an amazing aura of calm confidence, was at the peak of his professional and physical powers and was utterly charming. I felt very priviledged to have spent some time with him.

He got me thinking about leadership.

In my career, those who demonstrated the best leadership have been inspirational:

• The charismatic CEO who practised "management by walking about" prior to becoming a management technique, and who always made time for his staff, building his business into the most profitable in the company before he was wisked off to set up a new venture overseas.


• The exasperating, creative, energetic entrepreneur who forced those around him to take chances, move out of their comfort zone and believe in themselves, while getting every ounce of blood from them in the process!


• The talented and generous boss who, given the task of setting up a new venture with a mixture of staff drafted in from other parts of the organisation, built them into a cohesive, loyal team which transformed the venture into the most effective high-growth part of the organisation.

But for each of those inspirational leaders, I have workd with some dire individuals in senior positions who lacked basic leadership qualities. That said, I probably learnt more from them-even if it was what NOT to do!

• The famous director who was drafted in at huge expense to transform a company and who bombed; he couldn't translate his success into his new company whithout his previous infrasturcture and team. I always suspected we had the wrong man!


• The nationally-renowned specialist who was task oriented and so busy trying to do everything herself she forgot that her staff needed motivation, guidance and "esprit de corps".


• The CEO who was such a perfectionist that if someone disappointed him he had fiery, bullying tantrums--in front of everyone--with a resultant withdrawal of respect.


• The manager who alienated a bright-eyed new graduate during their first meeting by telling her she had no hope of a career with the organisation since she was engaged to be married! (I proved him wrong of course, and thankfully attitudes like that have been eradicated--at least overtly.)

Overall?
Leadership qualities are demonstrated by those who build--and work through--effective teams, who inspire loyalty, respect and admiration from others and who possess strong personal abilities and skills in their chosen professional environment. Their era and environment shapes them. And yes, the best leaders have a leadership "aura" just like the army officer awarded the DSO.
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Anne Craig has over 40 years' experience in business management at director level in both the private and public sector. During the past 20 years she has specialised in all aspects of Knowledge Transfer within the university sector, being awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2010 for her services.

She is heavily involved in the development of the knowledge transfer profession, part of which is a major national initiative looking at the Continuing Professional Development needs of those working at the interfaces between education and research establishments and their businesses and communities.