Leadership strategy

There's a natural lifespan for human beings which seems to be accompanied by a natural leadership span. That's why top managers are seldom as effective in their older years.

It's tempting for CEOs to get sucked into a certain mindset that places priority on doing things right over doing the right things.

What's more, charismatic leaders can sometimes get addicted to their own power, which makes them lose touch with reality.

The ability to recognise mistakes and to atone for them, however dire, is a more important leadership attribute than charisma.

Whether the business is prospering or failing, a renewable leader should be at the helm. You have to change your stance to fit changing times, or you and your business will get out of synch. Top people need new ideas more than anyone else.

Take the following test and give honest answers to these four crucial questions (true or false):

• My leadership is influenced by what is typically true, so I miss possibilities that contradict this received view.
• I have a tendency to judge the probability of an event by the ease with which relevant examples come to mind – so I assess the risks of failure in a new venture from past experience in the marketplace, rather than the available data.
• I confirm what I expect to find by being selective in accepting or ignoring information.
• I am overly influenced by my personal feelings – people I like are more likely to get a positive response.

If you answer 'false' for all four, you're probably in denial. Faced with a plethora of choices, the mind reverts to short-cuts and general rules which make decision-making simpler and faster.

Do not be too easily led by what others are doing – be more interested in what they are not doing, or not doing well enough, to inform your leadership stance.

What's more, be open to all the data you can find –whether it fits your preconceived ideas or not. And don't have favourites – give people a chance to win favour with everybody by their quality of thought.