To transform business as a force for good, we need bold and brave leaders —
individuals that are not afraid to get personal, emotional, and to define and
defend their values.
L-R: Erin Meezan, Chris Coulter and Emmanuel Faber | Image credit: Twitter
This has been one of the overarching messages this week at SB’19 Paris, and a
message underscored in the opening address by Emmanuel Faber, CEO of
Danone, who said:
“If we’re not bold as a brand, we face the risk of being meaningless. But it’s
not just about being ‘bold’ as a brand; I’m sick of hiding behind brands! People
are the brand. Don’t hesitate to make it personal and use your voice. Embrace
your emotions and be vulnerable because, without making it personal, you will
not stand for anything!"
These rousing words reflect a much-needed change in business leadership to drive
positive, inclusive and sustainable impact — one which Neural
Beings founder Anahita Moghaddam articulated
clearly. Building on Faber’s words, she said:
“We live in a world where we celebrate qualities like competitiveness and
short-term gains. But we need to shift to celebrate qualities that live more
naturally in the feminine; intuition, interdependence and longer-term
planning.”
In politics, we are also seeing new kinds of leaders embody this ‘alternative’
approach, proving that embracing values such as kindness and
empathy
is not only more inclusive, but more effective.
New Zealanders, such as myself, have long been proud of our young Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern (38), who we've witnessed shaking up the world of
politics. Not only has she given birth in office, but she’s pushed for a new
world order, calling for kindness and
humility on platforms such as the
UN General Assembly.
She is bold and brave, and she’s not afraid to show vulnerability and emotion —
but she’s no soft touch: After the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, when
Trump leaned in to offer ‘any support whatsoever,’ she was quick to respond:
“Please extend your sympathy and love to all Muslim communities.” Quick to take
action and enact new gun laws, she has proved an empathetic approach to leading
is also more effective.
A few weeks ago, at Advertising Week
Europe, Karen Stacey — CEO of Digital
Cinema Media — echoed a similar sentiment: “I don’t think companies with
‘command and control' models of leadership are going to survive. Companies need
to look at leadership differently, and that means a greater emphasis on empathy
and a greater emphasis on emotional intelligence.”
Yes, we need more women in power (in the advertising sector, only 12 percent of
creative directors are women), but we need more men that embrace a more
‘feminine’ model, too — not just because it’s the right thing to do, but
because, as Ardern has demonstrated, it’s the smartest thing to do (and also,
the right thing to do).
Chris Coulter, CEO at GlobeScan, agreed with this sentiment. He said:
“Brave leaders today don’t puff themselves up. We are seeing a new approach to
leadership with those in power take on the role of nurturers. Expectations of
leaders are changing, and ‘command and control’ doesn’t work anymore. People are
empowered, and they won’t be bullied. Empathetic leadership is the only way to
mobilize people.”
Speaking from a branding perspective, Nick Steel — Creative Director at
independent creative agency HarrimanSteel, who’s attending the Paris event
this week — insisted that an ‘ego-less’ approach to advertising is also the most
effective.
“Empathy is a core value that drives genuinely impactful creative work,” he told
me. “If I can’t just listen to my clients and step into their shoes, I can’t
deliver the right creative solutions. Empathy means active listening, but also
means no egos. It means motivating and inspiring, rather than leading from the
top.”
In politics, and in business, Sustainable Brands Paris confirms that we’ve
witnessed a shift far too far to the ‘masculine’ (prioritizing hard
‘rationality’ with short-term, immediate gain). To drive business as a force for
good, it’s time for a new model of leadership to thrive. We need leaders that
emphasize collaboration and consultation — rather than aggressive, hierarchical
cultures — who can show emotion, be vulnerable and understand and share others’
feelings; and perhaps most importantly, who understand the interconnectedness of
things, which leads to consideration of the ‘impact’ of business, too.
Our planet is not an infinite resource, growth cannot be not endless, and
sustainability should not be a burden, but an opportunity. This is not a call to
altruism, but self-interest — as Coulter shared with me:
“From a business perspective, you quite simply can’t be a successful global
company in a failed world.”
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Lucy von Sturmer is founder of global non-profit Creatives for Climate — a network of 40,000 professionals driving climate action at work — and CEO of award-winning communications consultancy The Humblebrag.
Published Apr 25, 2019 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST