Chief Executive Officer of Busara Africa, Taaka Awori has identified agility and adaptability in leadership as a panacea for businesses to stay afloat in periods of uncertainties.
She has stressed the importance of these traits if leaders hope to overcome the challenges posed by the coronavirus to their operations.
On the Citi Business Festival, virtual forum on the topic, “How you can restart your business after COVID-19”, Madam Awori mentioned four attributes of agile leaders.
Here are her four values leaders must possess to stay in business:
- Purpose and value-driven: This means having an unrelenting focus on your business-why. In times of uncertainties, you are thinking of what to do or why you are in business. You pivot in all directions but what keeps you centered is your purpose and what you bring to your customers. It is about ensuring that the decision that you are making, culture, aspirations are influenced by your value.
- Trustworthiness: Agile leaders are trustworthy. At this moment of rapid change and uncertainties, people do not follow a leader that they can’t trust into the uncertain future. So what it means to be trustworthy during this period is that you put employees and customers first. So everything is not about you the senior management leader but rather you are thinking about your staff and customers. You must keep promises and be accountable and as much as possible be candid and transparent in future business strategy and plans.
- Adaptability: As a leader, you need to be asking yourself how you are able to manage change and adapt to the new technologies your business needs to leverage on right now. How flexible are you in your thinking. Many leaders are stuck in the way they think. Their mentality is moduled and paradigm that when opportunities are emerging, they simply can’t shift. One’s adaptability is about the leadership style. adaptability means maybe this is not the moment to drive. Maybe this is a moment to maybe step back, listen to my team so they feel part of the change.”
- Connectedness: Agile leaders are connected. They are connected to their customers and employees. This is done by regular and consistent communication with emotional sensitivity. Change is a time where emotions are raw.people are afraid and anxious and as a leader, you must be communicating to show compassion.
The 2020 edition of the Citi Business Festival started on Monday, June 1, 2020, with a line-up of radio and TV programs. It will feature virtual business forums and will be live on Citi TV.
The month-long festival of business events and on-air activities provides inspiration, business ideas, and information for persons who are starting, building or growing their businesses.
This year’s edition of the Citi Business Festival is sponsored by Absa Bank, GIPC, Citi 97.3FM and powered by the most comprehensive business news website; citibusinessnews.com.
