I often talk about the commercial value of ‘strong & charismatic leadership’ as well as how I believe it should be something business schools include in their syllabuses … however whenever I bring it up at a conference or something similar, I tend to get smacked down because there is this belief [in certain business circles] that it’s a danger, rather than an opportunity.
Of course I appreciate a high-profile leader means a company may disproportionately attract the attention of competitors or lawyers – but apart from the fact ‘high profile’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘dangerous’ or ‘corrupt’ – the fact so many of these “believers in the bland” spend billions each year trying to shove their name down everyone’s throat hardly demonstrates an organisation fixated on hiding under the radar.
Now I am not saying every charismatic business leader will drive a companies revenue – just like how every bland corporate head doesn’t get double digit growth – plus I am painfully aware that you can’t actually teach someone to have charisma … however my point is that if its commercial value was recognised and validated, then maybe it would encourage more companies to embrace the unique or the different, because sadly at present it appears that regardless of whether we’re talking about brands or business leaders, there is an attempt to standardise tone, manner & approach and I believe that is a major contributing factor to the seemingly never-ending production line of the soulless and the average, even if on occasion they try and disguise it in cliché-ridden sparkles.
Being different isn’t wrong. Being wrong is wrong.