Anver Dole extols skills for peer leadership at Member’s Speak

TMC Kalutara Chairman Anver Dole addressing the members and guests 

Addressing members and guests at The Management Club Member’s Speak at the Galadari Hotel recently, Anver Dole in his inimitable style, highlighted that leadership skills and style used would depend on the business environment or situation.

Sharing some thoughts on leadership he said: “The very essence of leadership is that you need to have a vision,” and stressed that, “Leadership is mobilising the actions and efforts of others to achieve common goals.” He added: “Outstanding leaders appeal to the hearts of their followers – not their minds,” and drew attention to Indira Gandhi’s famous quote: “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.

Anver stressed that successful leaders, whether in a voluntary organisation or business environment, must be able to communicate, motivate, build teams, solve problems, resolve conflict, manage change and be able to promote creativity. Most leaders pay scant respect to their own leadership style, he said. They “do what comes naturally”, when leadership is needed. If they are successful – their instincts usually serve them well. However, to improve one’s peer leadership style, one needs to be aware of how one leads.

Also he stressed that that a peer leader must know what motivates fellow members in a volunteer group, identify those benefits that motivated them to join, and the motivations that make them remain as members. He shared a survey format titled: ‘What motivates your peers to serve?’

In an interesting interactive session he engaged the participants in an exercise to determine their individual leadership styles. In the next exercise the audience compared and contrasted the characteristics of a peer/volunteer leader and a business manager.

He briefly commented on the “chaos” that prevails in the world business environment where technological innovation disrupts industries. The US Navy SEALS had coined the technical term VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) to best describe the turbulence. Research has shown that in today’s ‘VUCA’ world, leaders need to upgrade their “Inner Core”, meaning they need to commit to their personal development. It is now found that effective leadership development is not confined to knowing what a leader “should be doing”, but must include the development of character and attitudes, mental habits, values, beliefs, honesty, integrity, humility, gratitude and loyalty. Interestingly these are attributes and skills of effective peer leadership.

 He wrapped up his presentation by urging the audience to upgrade the peer leadership skills found lacking in their respective leadership style assessments.

Pix by Theewra