Finding your next great leader

Sarah Skinner, Global Managing Director, Grace Blue

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 Expectations of business leaders have undergone a profound shift, particularly due to the transformational change many businesses now require to remain competitive.

 

Sarah Skinner, Global Managing Director, shares Grace Blue’s approach to identifying and placing successful, transformational leaders in this interview. She covers the essential characteristics of effective leaders, pitfalls to avoid, and explores how Grace Blue, a trusted executive search partner, bridges the gap between exceptional leadership talent and organisations in need of transformation.

 

So, what makes a great leader today, one that can help grow your business and successfully beat your competitors?

Sarah outlines three core attributes at the heart of great leadership: clarity of vision, decisiveness, and the ability to listen. In addition, she emphasises that leaders today must possess technical expertise relevant to their roles while, at the same time, being aware of their impact on others.

 

These attributes need to work in tandem with today’s changing expectations of leadership from the people they lead. Traditional command-and-control models are giving way to leadership styles that prioritise influence, collaboration and responsiveness to broader societal issues. Leaders must consider not just economic contributions, but also their organisation’s social impact, a shift driven by a workforce that demands purpose and responsibility from their employers, but also from shareholders, investors, regulators and citizens.

 

Alongside changing expectations of leaders, the modern business environment is also shifting dramatically because of technological disruption and differing customer expectations. Companies slow to evolve risk being left behind. Leaders are required to bring a broader perspective, with a focus on innovation and adaptability.

 

Sarah argues that the biggest challenge for any business today is finding a leader with the right skill sets to transform the organisation. Grace Blue’s strategic methodology, rooted in the needs of the business, enables them to look beyond traditional talent pools and find individuals with the skills necessary to fundamentally change a business for the better.

 

In contrast, the risk of appointing the wrong leader can be damaging, and Grace Blue’s rigorous approach, underpinned by their proprietorial AI tool and industry experts, mitigates against making a mistake. This holistic approach ensures every leader Grace Blue places in a new role is successful in two key areas: growing the business they have joined, and groiwing themselves, professionally and personally. This is evidenced by the fact that leaders placed by Grace Blue have a significantly higher tenure in role than the industry average.

 

Ultimately, finding a successful leader lies in the ability to match businesses needs with people who can truly transform their organisations while navigating the complexities of a rapidly changing world. Understanding business needs, probing what skillset are needed, being strategic about where to look and thoroughly assessing a candidate’s strengths means Grace Blue ensures placements are not just a strong cultural fit but are also capable of delivering genuine change.