“It is all about
a balance” – this is a very familiar remark that people would associate with
Barbara. “Perhaps it is because I am a
Libran”, she once said.
After an
incredible 11 plus years as the CEO of WaterAid, Barbara steps down in May
2017. She has every reason to look back with pride at what the organisation has
achieved under her stewardship. Before coming to WaterAid, she was the CEO of
Action for Disability and Development for 9 years and prior to that, worked
with various organisations including ActionAid and Oxfam in southern Africa,
after having spent 2 decades in Australia, before returning to the UK.
I had the
privilege of working with Barbara for nearly 10 years – those were incredible years as
well, enriched with learning and doing things that I had not done before.
Working closely with Barbara, I gained a deep understanding of her leadership
style.
Initially, for
me, it was quite difficult to comprehend her leadership style. Having been
schooled in the more ‘directive’ leadership style, it was hard for me to get
it. But then, over a period of time, with deeper exposure to newer and more
rounded understanding of leadership styles and culture, a lot of that started
making good sense.
It is now
nearly 2 years since I left WaterAid. And in my current role, I have often
reflected on Barbara’s style and
picked out some key aspects that I have been keen to embed in my own leadership
style. I have spoken about this at a few guest lectures that it did at CASS
Centre for Charity Effectiveness.
Now, to
coincide with Barbara’s retirement, I
would like to share this more widely. Barbara would be mortified by the thought
of her style having been referred to as ‘commandments’ – but don’t take that
word seriously. That is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek. They are actually more like
‘principles’ that defined her style of
leadership, that I was very inspired by, and try to ‘check-in’ many times, especially when I am
facing some key challenges. Mind you – this is not
what she says about her leadership style – this is what I
have learnt and gained as insights.
And given that
she is stepping down from WaterAid after 11 years, here are those 11
commandments and I hope you as the reader will find this helpful :
1.
Be mission focussed – avoid mission drift : It is so easy to get
carried away and want to do many things or engage with a number of initiatives,
often because you want to be in the good books of people by being inclusive.
But it can cause ‘mission drift’ and hence, one does need to say ‘no’ if that
is the right thing to say.
2.
Build trust, respect and collaboration - we cannot
do it on our own. We need to work with partners, allies, collaborators –
whatever is the term we are most comfortable with. And irrespective of the
success or size of one’s organisation, it is import to retain a high degree of
modesty to work with others.
3. Keep a cool head – keep smiling even if under pressure : People expect their leaders to be resilient and manage stress, which
also drives confidence in their leader to overcome challenges.
4. Prepare well and ahead – an early (or earlier) morning start helps : The regular working day
can be very busy with back-to-back meetings or engagements. We do need some
quiet time to focus on some important work or reading. Even a regular meeting
or a 1-1 with your direct report requires some prep time for it to be
effective.
5. Be accessible – it is much appreciated: It can cause distraction, but an ‘open door policy’ often pays rich dividends as many
organisational issues or myths can be dealt with over a conversation, in
addition to building positive relationships. ‘Talk is
work’ was her motto. Whether it is around the coffee machine, or in the
corridor, or over lunch, make time to talk to staff. People feel respected but
more importantly, one learns a lot that does not come out of emails or meetings.
6. Follow a ‘no
surprises’ policy – flag and signpost: This is particularly important in the CEO’s relationship with the Board, and especially the Chair. As long as the
CEO has the backing of the Board and its Chair, the organisation will be able
to overcome myriad challenges.
7. Keep the Board engaged – they are a great resource: Make time not just for Board meetings, but
to catch up with individual trustees, over the phone, a cup of coffee or by
email. Communicating with Board members is so critical to keep them informed
and engaged – and it leads to better Board meetings and better decisions.
8. Keep an eye on the external – think how it can benefit you even if it is not quite obvious: There is
always a question of balancing between the internal and the external. Internal
issues can take a lot of time, hence it is very important to ring fence some
time for external engagements, and to have the external antenna functioning.
9. Keep circulating and networking – it is great to share ideas, to be out and about: As a CEO, one does
get invited to several events, some more relevant than others if one is looking
at the theme or purpose of these events. But these are incredible opportunities
to meet new people, work the floor and network, and we may be in for surprises
as some of them could lead to a longer term relationship – but it definitely gives you a new or a different perspective.
10. Think of how the organisation can build its
profile – look for various channels : It is about ‘getting
the message out’ and the CEO has such an important role that cuts across various
functional areas. As the key ambassador and spokesperson for the organisation,
it is critical to ensure that the CEO is often thinking of building the profile
of the organisation and delivering its messages.
11. Read and recharge – it helps ‘sharpen the saw’: Always
make time for some reading, and we can always find some time, however short – on trains, while waiting for an appointment, or a few minutes each
day, during or outside work hours. It does help in the process of learning and
reflection.
