WHAT DO GREAT BUSINESS LEADERS HAVE THAT THE REST OF US DONT? (Part 1)

Bill Gates who was recently named by Forbes Magazine as the richest man on planet Earth is a well known Leader in the Business World. Though I certainly cannot claim to have his level of experience or to have achieved the success he currently enjoys, I can confidently say that I have led a few people in my time. As a little known hospital administrator in 2003, I led a hospital from being a sub-standard facility with a bed occupancy rate of less than 50% to becoming a quality facility with a bed occupancy rate of over 85% in just 5 years and 96% in 10 years. In addition, the bed space rose from 10 to 35 in the 10 years I spent there.

 Having studied the likes of Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Aliko Dangote (Africa’s richest man) and others, I have come to this conclusion: whether you are a Leader of two, ten or a thousand, you need the same traits to be great and successful at what you do. It’s time to know some of them:

• ·        Passion

In medicine as well as in other professions, passion is needed to succeed. Passion is an intense enthusiasm that keeps you firing your throttle at full capacity even when you feel blue. CEO Mark Parker has been with Nike for over 30years. It takes passion to work at the same job for 30 years. No wonder he was named CEO in 2006. In 2013, his company was named the most innovative firm in the USA. A great leader must be passionate about his/her tasks because passion breeds commitment. And commitment will keep you dedicated and devoted to a cause. Passion is what will keep you going when sales are poor and competitors are closing shop. Passion is what will make you get up in the morning to go to work even when it’s a public holiday.

• ·        Determination

People like Bill Gates have an uncanny attitude to always succeed. One executive told the story of how he had beaten Bill Gates in a computer game 35 out of 37 times. They didn’t meet again until a month later. When they eventually met, Bill Gates beat him or tied with him on every single game they played from then on. He had spent one month studying the game so he could beat his opponent! That is determination. Great Leaders are always determined to see things work out. A great Leader should have a firmness of purpose and be ready to follow through on plans of action.

• ·        Guts

It is near impossible to have determination without having guts or courage. Every business involves risk taking. There are always periods of fear and uncertainty in life. Great Leaders have the guts to dare the seemingly impossible and do the unthinkable. Guts will stand you out from the crowd. Bill Gates had the guts to drop out of Harvard (!!!!) in 1975 to start a Computer Software Company with his friend, Paul Allen. Today, Gates is worth over $79.2 billion (according to the BBC).

• ·        Patience

There is a waiting period or gestation period for everything. For example, a computer must finish booting before it can be used. A great leader is one who is patient with self, people and processes. A great leader is wise enough to know when to be forceful and when to be calm. Every plan needs time to mature. A great leader must therefore learn to be patient. Aliko Dangote took a loan of N200, 000 (about $1000 today) from his uncle to start a business in 1977. In 2008 he was quoted as saying “I built a conglomerate and emerged the richest black man in the world….but it didn't happen overnight”. He was patient. Learn patience, it is a very important business virtue.

• ·        Vision

Vision is the ability to see into the future and decide where you want your organization to be. Great Leaders are visionary because they don’t only think outside the box, but they sometimes think with no box at all. When Bill Gates started Microsoft, people thought he was insane. Today, that “insane” vision is yielding billions of dollars yearly. When Richard Branson wanted to start Virgin Air, he wrote “my interests in life were from setting for myself huge apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them”.

So, wanna be a great leader?

It’s time to develop passion; be determined to succeed; have the guts to do the impossible; apply patience when needed; and develop a vision beyond your competitors!

What do you think it takes to be a great leader? Share your thoughts……