What does it take to be a leader? Here's a quick look at what some speakers had to say on the first day of LAMP Asia.
Tariq Khan, Founder and CEO, Global Diversity Marketing, said that while a manager is focussed on planning and organising, a leader’s focus is on motivating and inspiring, aligning the team towards a common direction, and producing change which often leads to a dramatic degree.
And how do you recognise a leader? A great leader often displays these traits: they don’t find recruits, they attract; they don’t train agents, they develop people; they don’t push their agents for production, their agents exceed expectations; and they don’t just solve problems, they empower people.
Adam Holt, CEO and Founder of Asset Map, said that even in this era of disruption, a great leader has to be confident in understanding what will change and what won’t, to inspire confidence and direction.
He shared the following quote from Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon:
“I very frequently get the question: ‘What’s going to change in the next 10 years?’… I almost never get the questions ‘What’s not going to change in the next 10 years?’ And I submit to you that the second question is actually the more important of the two – because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time.”
For Amazon, it’s knowing that customers want low prices; fast delivery; and vast selection.
“We know the energy we put into it today will still be paying off dividends for our customers 10 years from now. When you have something that you know is true, even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it.”
Adam reminded the audience to cultivate the human relationship. “Technology is meant to make us more effective – don’t forget the people part,” he concluded.
Ed Deutschlander, Past President of GAMA International (2007-2008), said that a leader should demand and expect excellence.
He shared a quote from Johann Goethe, a German author/playwright/poet: “If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.”
And he ended by reminding attendees of the importance of recruitment, by sharing this recruiter’s creed:
“Nothing happens until someone recruits somebody. An organisation stands still, there is no culture, no vision, no opportunity, no future.
An organisation builds upon people or it builds on nothing at all. With every new candidate comes potential, with every new recruit comes hope, with every additional person comes a new perspective, a new mind, a new heart.
What happens when you recruit someone? You give them an opportunity, a future, a reason to live life to the fullest each and every day. A chance to do something very few can do in life, to truly make a difference in touching the lives of others.
We are fishers of people; we are making a difference.”
Asia Advisers Network and Asia Insurance Review are the official media partners of LAMP Asia, organised by GAMA International, the association dedicated to promoting the professional development needs and leadership skills of leaders in the financial services industry.
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