Key features of modern leaders, according to Dutch CEOs

Leaders can no longer limit themselves to steering profitability. For example, modern leaders also have an eye for the social impact of their organisation. What are the most important qualities for such a modern leader? 28 leading CEOs answer.

In the United States, dozens of large companies recently announced that they were no longer putting the shareholder first. In the Netherlands, too, leaders are expected to look beyond the profit figures and take into care the impact their company has on society and the environment.

But what qualities should modern leaders meet? Recruitment firm Ebbinge investigated this. The company focuses on finding candidates from higher and executive positions. Together with Nyenrode, the company investigated what innovation in leadership is needed to make an organization “better, more sustainable and more inclusive”.

Researcher and senior consultant Niels van Tent van Ebbinge:”The world is changing, so leadership needs to change with it.” Van Tent did not want to send a teaching message into the world. So 28 interviews with Dutch CEOs and executives were conducted about leadership.

Among those interviewed were Arie Koorneef (ASN Bank), Erik Does(EkoPlaza), Volkert Engelsman(Eosta)and Mariah Mansvelt Beck(Yoni). From the answers, the researchers distilled seven qualities of what they call Real Leadership.

The seven characteristics of ‘Real Leaders’:

Self-conscious

A leader has a good self-understanding. This means that he or she has knowledge not only of his or her competencies, but also of shortcomings. According to one of the interviewees, sustainable leadership is about who you are as a human being. “Do you believe people, you trust in people; You are not projecting your own ego onto an entire company?”
Responsible

Leaders must not walk away from responsibility. This is not only about the responsibility for the company, but also about the social responsibility for the environment in which the leader finds himself. Real leaders want to use their talents to make a positive social impact.

Visionary

Real leaders do not have a strategy, but their own vision or dream of the future. They are not guided by the delusion of the day or minor setbacks, but stick to their long-term vision and know how to enthuse people about their vision. At the same time, says one of the interviewees, you have to be open to critical sounds.

Willing to take a Risk

If you don’t dare to take risks, you don’t change anything. Leaders are not limited to keeping things under control, but are change-minded and willing to bear the consequences of their actions. They show courage and go against common views. “Innovation is 75 percent counter-gas,” according to one interviewee.

Connecting

A leader is a bridge builder who can build relationships both inside and outside the organizations. This requires empathy and a willingness to be vulnerable. A good leader shares the successes and takes good care of the people around him or her.

Setting a course and going for it is an important feature of sustainable leaders. Leaders are not too easily tempted to deviate from their vision and always set their goal above saving their own.

Impact

A leader wants to leave something behind and is intrinsically motivated by the purpose he or she has in mind. “At the end of my life I want to feel like: I have left something, I have achieved something. I had a vision, a passion,” one of the interviewees justifies this quality.

Source nu.nl & MT