Throughout my lifetime in business I have been very lucky to work alongside some outstanding leaders and entrepreneurs who have helped to shape the business woman that I have eventually become. Of all of those who I had the pleasure of working under however, there is one man who stands out above the rest and that is Shane Kersh. At that time I was just cutting my teeth in business and he taught me exactly what it meant to be a great leader, and what the result of being a great leader would be. If you are thinking about improving your leadership skills, this is a great example of what that looks like.
Communication
Shane communicated with everyone in the exact same way, no matter if it was an office cleaner, a fellow CEO or someone who came in to ask for directions. This unbiased approach really won Shane a lit of friends and he had this masterful ability to make everyone feel at ease. Shane listened very well too and when he did you honestly felt like he cared and that he would take on board any concerns which you had. People talk about the importance of communication skills and in Shane I saw it first hand.
Committed
If you read a book on leadership it will tell you that you should be the most committed person in the business, working harder, longer and smarter than everyone else. The truth in actual fact is the polar opposite of this and when most become leaders they slacken off an diet the power go to their head, this was not what happened with Shane. Each day this guy was the most pumped up person in the office, he was like an energy source in there and no matter how good or bad a day you were having, you still wanted to work because of the amount of passion he showed. People talk about being inspirational and motivational, in my view that all comes from leading by example.
Consistent
Shane never had favorites in the office, he would celebrate success in the same way with everyone and he would lose his cool in the same way no matter how it was that made a mistake. Many members of staff just want to know where they are with their boss, they don’t want to be made to second guess their mood or reaction. Shan set out clear parameters which meant that everyone knew what was expected of them.
Personal Analysis
Shane used to speak to me about how each day he vetted himself, each day he asked himself whether he was doing enough to be better, to overcome his weaknesses or to change his approach for more success. Many leaders are quiet arrogant in their ability and I love that Shane constantly saw himself as a work in progress, with plenty of space to keep on getting better.
If you want to be a great leader, this is how it is done.
