The five A’s of quality leadership
“Embody quality leadership by staying resilient and pushing through tough times.“
Every business goes journey is one of highs and lows. If we look at a company such as Pick n Pay, for so many years the leader in South African retail and now struggling to stay abreast of changes in the retail industry. They are having to revise their strategies and rethink their plans as their leadership position is overtaken by fresh thinking, innovative competitors Checkers and online traders such as Takealot, Temu and Shein.
That’s not the end of the story though, and now far from curling up and dying, Pick n Pay is pivoting to focus on their Boxer store brand which is currently the fastest growing retail store in Africa!
Your business may be a fraction of the size of Pick n Pay. It may only be one year old (not 57) and have five employees (not the 52 000 that Pick n Pay stores employ) yet the cycles of challenge and the solutions for riding the waves are similar.
Success requires that we focus on the five A’s of Leadership. These are the five attributes that leaders need to foster for consistent success, and especially during times of challenge.
Altitude is the height at which you want to fly. This is determined by your vision for the business. Take time to revisit and clarify the purpose and passion for what you do. Keep your head high and your sights set on the goal.
Attitude is your tool for staying fine-tuned to success. Cultivate a positive mindset and belief that every day is opportunity to live with courage and conviction. Look forward with enthusiasm, not backward with regret. Believe in yourself and trust your team.
Attention reminds us to take heed of the signals around us. Attend to the data on finances, staff challenges, shifts in the competitive landscape. Pay attention to both the internal and external worlds. And attend to your own personal attitudes or anxieties that can spill out into the business.
Aptitude reminds us that success requires constant upgrade of skills and knowledge. This includes our own skill set, and the skill sets across the business. If AI is the incoming wave, have we educated ourselves in it and are we training or recruiting the right people in the team for our future growth?
Action is where success is made or lost. Every good idea is only as good as the implementation of it. It is the actions we take that make the difference. Strong leadership requires us to cultivate the courage to act, and that our actions are the steps to success.
So, this week – no matter the size of your business or if you are surfing the high wave of success, or wallowing in the lows, take a moment to review your own 5 A’s of leadership and freshen up your strategy for success.
