Good vs great leadership

Written by our CEO, Peter Rabey.

How do you define great leadership? This is one of my favourite questions I ask leaders on the podcast.

Of course, there is not a simple one answer that defines great leadership, as leadership success means different things to different people, but there has been consistency in certain leadership values and qualities including empathy, authenticity, integrity, and great communication.

Whilst I’m always fascinated to hear how individual experiences have shaped each guests’ answer to this question, there seems to be a general understanding towards what categorises ‘great’ leadership over ‘good’ leadership. My top picks from the podcast this week are Daniel Couto, Chief Operating Officer at Vedanta Biosciences, Inc., Carolyn Starrett, CEO at Flatiron Health, and Benjamin Blatt, Chief Business Officer at Pagaya.

Great leaders put time into listening to and understanding their people.

Effective communication is a skill in itself, but perhaps a stronger skill is being able to listen, not talk.  Have meaningful conversations, ask your team questions, and make sure they understand how valuable they are to your company.

When you communicate a message, don’t over complicate. Keep your message simple, help people understand the reasonings behind why you’re doing something, and you’ll see the message be effectively adopted.

A leader who can be authentic and consistent, taking time to have honest conversations and learn from others, is a leader who will be respected.

Be in it for others, not just yourself. Fight for collective success, not for your own recognition.

A great leader can possess many qualities; someone who acknowledges the whole process (not just the parts), understanding the importance of knowing not just how and what to do, but also why, and possessing the ability to see the significance in the work you’re doing, beyond the obvious.

Don’t be over focused on managing your people as you’ll neglect other areas that require more of your focus – you may find that giving your team more freedom reaps better results. Don’t get too caught up in strategy, the processes and procedures that contribute to successful execution are equally as important.