As I go about my daily life and experience the indifference or sullenness of shop assistants or waiting staff, usually arising from low morale or inadequate training; As I watch the news and see the mass suffering and escalation in hatred caused by one country’s leader’s decision to invade another nation or dominate its citizens; As I listen to politicians clamping down on peaceful protesting if it doesn’t fit their motives, or ignoring the global science community on climate change despite the catastrophic consequences that lie ahead: As I listen to unhappy and angry people complaining about their jobs; As I witness people losing their jobs in a spiralling cost of living crisis, unable to pay their bills or keep their homes warm and their children fed whilst shareholders and CEOs receive record payouts…
With very few exceptions, these situations and the consequences thereof, are attributed to poor and self-serving leadership with power and greed at the centre. The culture always begins at the top. Period.
With the above challenges we are facing in the world today, the unimaginable suffering, poverty and inequity on an obscene scale, and a mental health epidemic, more than ever before, we urgently need the compassionate thinking and values of those leaders that are motivated by doing the right thing, even though it will be unpopular with some. If such leaders couple these strengths with laser focus and determination to achieve fast and great results, we have a formidable recipe for positive reform, including thriving economies.
The Consequences of Leadership Styles, Good and Bad
At the root of all cultural, economic, institutional, political, corporate, educational and social outcomes, there is either good, bad or great leadership, and the leaders determine those outcomes.
Great leaders create an environment where people thrive. They are listened to, trusted, treated with dignity and respect, feel part of something important, and developed to their full potential.
People on the receiving end of great leadership are inspired to give their best, remain loyal to their organisation, and provide great service to all their customers, whether they be internal or external. And if you are in business, quite simply, happy customers reward you with their loyalty, recommendations and the resulting superior profits. Great leadership is emphatically good for business and society in every respect.
I have spoken with countless people, both in my professional capacity and in social settings, and the No. 1 reason that people cite for being miserable and disengaged, or for leaving their job is because of the way they are treated.
Great leadership is also essential for the social wellbeing of a nation, where citizens thrive, contribute and respect their fellow citizens and environment. Such nations (and there are some!) are not increasingly divided and polarised in the way many of us are witnessing or experiencing as I write this book in 2025.
In conclusion, to be a great leader – FIRST, you must give a damn about people, and if you demonstrate that in everything you say and do, then great results will follow.