Leadership elements
Working for a major bank, is leadership simply a matter of applying the rules? There are principles and values where there is no room for compromise and everyone - leaders and team members alike - must comply. In other areas, there is scope to use flexibility and common sense. If you don't allow that, there is a risk that you will kill creativity and entrepreneurship.
What are the key elements in managing change successfully? You should always keep an open mind and have some 'change agents' around you - people with creative and visionary thinking. It's also important to encourage team members to come up with new ideas and put them forward. If these are deemed feasible, after being fully debated and properly evaluated, it is then up to the management to provide the necessary direction or assistance to get things implemented without undue delay.
As a leader, how do you see yourself? I aim to be firm but fair. I make every effort to get to know and understand my team and share my vision with them. I listen to suggestions and encourage change and innovation. My biggest challenge is prioritising and juggling different roles and responsibilities, but I try to lead by example and show that it is possible to exceed others' expectations.
Is retaining staff becoming more difficult in a competitive market? You cannot retain good staff with just a job. You should also provide opportunities and a long-term development plan, which takes account of both professional and personal aspects. That is why we have an in-house scheme called 'Earthwatch', which encourages staff at all levels to take part in environmental protection projects. They get to work alongside leading scientists and, for example, help with conserving ecosystems or doing research into dolphins and other sea life. We pay for them and grant extra time off to make it easier for people to participate.
What are your views on succession planning? Once you take up a position, you should already be thinking about who can succeed you and how to train that person. I can hand over my job to someone else at any time because I have a very organised system. Personally, I have preferred not to stay in the same position for too long. If you do that, it can become harder to see your mistakes, and subordinates get too familiar with the routines and working patterns, which is not good for the overall development of the team. Even if people are settled and performing well in a certain role, they can benefit from job rotations, which give them broader experience and new skills.