Walking the Leadership Talk
GRAHAMSTOWN - Good business leaders “set and sweat” their company’s vision.
Roy Andersen
That’s according to Sanlam and Murray and Roberts Chairman Roy Andersen. And the no-nonsense former SA Defence Force (SADF) Major General should know. He has worked his way up, not only through the ranks of the military, but also from a humble chartered accountant in the 1960s to chairman or director of some of the most powerful companies in the world today.
Speaking at the Rhodes Investec Business School’s (RIBS) business forum in April, Andersen said companies became successful because of the vision, planning, execution and leadership of its managers – and a little bit of “luck” thrown in.
Referring to his five year stint as executive president of the JSE, Andersen said applying this formula had allowed him to restructure the Stock Exchange from the “bottom to the top” in just 18 months.
Andersen believes leaders are both “born and made”.
“No matter what one thought of the old SADF – it was a very efficient machine. We trained people how to lead,” he said
A true leader sets and sweats the vision, they drive the big issues, they are visible and energetic, they communicate and they build their team. A leader is also honest, promotes an open and challenging culture and respects subordinates.
Anderson says real leaders surround themselves with smart people. They delegate and empower and educate and develop. And they handle the media. Again, Andersen should know. His name was in the headlines “every single day” of the five years he headed up the JSE. “It was a goldfish bowl,” he says with a wry smile.
And don’t be afraid of hardship. “Leaders are often made in times of adversity. Look at (Winston) Churchill and (Nelson) Mandela.”
Leaders don’t have to be “technicians” but must understand the business they’re in.
Andersen believes South Africa is converting a political miracle into an economic and societal miracle.
“Each of us has a role to play in providing the correct leadership to ensure success.”
