Do you have what it takes to be an enterprise leader?

Last week I had a meeting with a Group HR director, of a multinational organisation.

I ask the director what was top of mind in his work.

He said that what he talks about most during the present time, was ‘helping his people – who were competent ‘leaders of a function’ (ie. a function within the organisation) – move to being able to be a competent ‘leader of an enterprise’.

The director said, a leader of an enterprise – in effect a C level function –

needed to bring people together and communicate ideas seamlessly,

to different audiences.

One word he used, which he said ‘leaders of functions’ needed to develop – and which comes up a lot and can be hard to define – was gravitas.  I’ve written about gravitas in prior posts.

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Robert F. Kennedy’s 50% rule for being successful

In 1968, when on the presidential campaign trail, the late Robert F. Kennedy told the journalist Roger Mudd, something to the effect of, “Roger, 50% of success is looking like you’re having a great time at what your doing.'”

The best C level executives that I work with adhere to 50% rule. They can make all stakeholders feel that this role/job/function they’re having a great time performing their role.

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