In search of an enthusiastic advocate for Leadership standards in South-Africa look no further than Marius Meyer. Marius and his team along with all South-Africans face a complex, diverse and fast paced environment wherein a higher demand is placed on the general Leadership standards and skill levels of companies, organisations, entrepreneurs and the workforce at large.
As the CEO of the SA Board for People Practices (SABPP) he has identified this challenge related to the Leadership paradigm within South Africa as a priority. As a result of the absence of a Leadership standard there tends to be a lack of clarity on how Leadership can be defined and more importantly how Leadership principles can be effectively applied within diverse business sectors.
The drive for profit can unfortunately lead to the neglect of the “people’s element” of organisations and businesses which ultimately can lead to severe sustainability problems. Growing in the wisdom that a business ecosystem comprises out of generational, philosophical, industry, and a plethora of other differences our Leaders must be highly skilled and their style must be flexible in order to make their teams successful.
Defining a Leadership Standard
Through the application of a Leadership standard the aim of the SA Board for People Practices is to create consensus on what excellent Leadership means. A logical yet challenging next step is to empower Leaders on all levels to acquire the skills necessary to Lead their team members towards a sustainable and successful future.
Marius believes that the traditional “top-down” structure of enforcing company values must be replaced with a culture of co-creating values. These values must then be embedded within the company culture to create a climate where all team members sincerely feel that they want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
The CEO of the SABPP alluded to the fact that the traditional norms of work have changed dramatically. The average “Millennial“ will work for between 15-20 different companies in his or her lifetime. Technology has enabled us to connect the dots between continents and therefore the location of work has become less important in general. Therefore, it is a core function of Leaders to adapt to our ever-changing work environment rapidly.
Marius’ personal values enables him to adapt to the vicissitudes of the environment within which he plies his trade are:
- Professionalism – In his view this means to cultivate an environment of very good people skills, knowledge levels of your profession, and to act with respect.
- Innovation – Foster a high level of awareness of how renewed ways of doing things can improve the effectiveness of your team and organisation.
- Ethics – Always act in the best interest of your company and clients in an honest way, using your principles and values as a compass.
- Competence – Always develop yourself. Keep up with the changes and demands of your industry.
- Excellence – Even if it is just a simple e-mail to a client hold yourself to the highest standard of execution of every task.
Wise Words From Marius Meyer
He had the following wisdom to share with all aspiring South-African Leaders:
Start thinking big, we tend to think too small. A critical element of “thinking big” is to expand your network. In the realisation of the fact that nobody became successful purely by themselves the aspiring Leader must be willing to ask for mentorship and always consider his mentors advice carefully before he acts.
If mentorship takes the form of a low paid internship be willing to start at the bottom in order to grow. Build your confidence by constantly venturing outside of your “comfort zone” and by constructively applying the lessons that you learn through making honest mistakes. Build your basic management acumen by closely observing other excellent managers that produce positive results.
It is only possible to improve the general standard of Leadership in South-Africa if we stand together as leaders, entrepreneurs and workforce. The South African Leadership Standard will be launched on 26 October in Kyalami, Johannesburg. For more information, visit www.sabpp.co.za or follow SABPP on twitter @SABPP1