Thanks to the adverse economic climate being experienced around the globe, people are turning to their leaders to give them direction. However, the rapidly changing and dynamic working environments, which incorporate increasing personal pressures, are bringing leaders and managers new and varied challenges, according to two speakers at the 2008 Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management Annual Conference held on Wednesday and Thursday.
The focus of the panel discussion 'No Hiding Place for Leaders' was on the demands being faced by leaders today.
The economic climate means that even greater pressure is being put on leaders to give people direction.
'Leaders have a role in ensuring that organisations make it through troubled times and [in creating] an environment where they can perform now - and in the future,' said Paul Jewitt-Harris, the director of consultant and product development and practise director, Asia, at Lane4 Management Group. 'In tough times, the leader is likely to focus on the current [state of play], but that's a mistake. As we come out of recession, there are opportunities which need to be taken up but the organisation [in question] might not be ready to take them up, so it can be a dangerous time.'
Tough times also mean that leaders are expected to be increasingly visible. As such, increased expectations can make life difficult, if leaders want to perform well, they need to be fit. However, the route to leadership fitness is not through gym membership. People intent on turning out long-term top performances must exercise their mental muscles.
High performers needed to be mentally tough, especially when things were changing rapidly, said David Rossiter, head of human resources of the Hospital Authority (HA). Mental toughness is a theory developed in sports psychologist Graham Jones's book Developing Mental Toughness: Gold Medal Strategies for Transforming Your Business Performance, written with Olympic athlete Adrian Moorhouse. It meant keeping your head whatever stresses were being thrown at you, and staying strong and believing in yourself, Mr Rossiter said.
