A good leader is one who inspires. One with a clear, encouraging vision that focuses on progression and innovation. A good leader is disruptive.

A disruptive leader is one that is always seeking better solutions and ways to establish new processes to make an impact as a whole, without worrying about shaking things up or altering the paths to obtain the necessary results.

This is why Michael Omari aka Stormzy is an unsung hero of Britain. A leader that we can all take something from.

He has been hailed “the people’s champ” and ‘a next-generation leader’ by Time magazine, and “this country’s biggest asset, musically and politically”.

If leaders are going to create truly inclusive cultures that represent the demographic that they serve, they need to change the way things are done.

Millennials and Gen Z have grown up in a world where we are all digitally connected, where corporate social responsibility is not a buzz phrase. This attitude adaptation means that leaders need a new point of reference, someone like Stormzy.

So, what inspirational traits does he personify?

HE LEADS BY EXAMPLE

When you lead by example, you create a picture of what is possible. You open the door for others to follow you. When it comes to social issues, this leader has not taken a backseat.

Stormzy joined a Black Lives Matter protest in London, proving that he isn’t just talking the talk, he is walking the walk (literally).

Furthermore, he has committed to donating £1 million annually for 10 years to charities, organisations and movements that are committed to fighting racial inequality, encouraging justice reform and black empowerment in the UK.

He stated that ‘equality is a myth at the moment’ but he recognised his position of power and the impact he could make. His actions inspired BBC Children in Need to do this …

BBC Children in Need has today announced that the charity will match the £10m funding pledge recently made by Stormzy to tackle racial inequality in the UK. Inspired by Stormzy’s commitment, BBC Children in Need will be matching his pledge of £10m over 10 years, and developing a dedicated new funding programme to support young Black talent to achieve their full potential, working in partnership with BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Key takeaway? A progressive leader sets the tone, and if systematic racism is to be eradicated, leaders should recognise the issue and utilise their positions of privilege. This means sending clear messages across the board and exemplifying the message through their own actions.

HE TELLS THE TRUTH

See Stormzy’s statement regarding UK racism below. If that’s not true recognition and honesty…

“The uncomfortable truth that our country continuously fails to recognise and admit that black people in the UK have been at a constant disadvantage in every aspect of life — simply due to the colour of our skin.
I’m lucky enough to be in the position I’m in and I’ve heard people often dismiss the idea of racism existing in Britain by saying, ‘If the country’s so racist how have you become a success?!’ And I reject that with this: I am not the UK’s shining example of what supposedly happens when a black person works hard. There are millions of us.
We are not far and few. We have to fight against the odds of a racist system stacked against us and designed for us to fail from before we are even born. Black people have been playing on an uneven field for far too long and this pledge is a continuation in the fight to finally try and even it.”

Key takeaway? Honesty acts as the gateway for inspiration and trust. Recognising an issue and making a promise to speak about it and follow your commitments through will inspire those around you.

HE OWNS HIS MISTAKES

Because we all make them. Stormzy is not perfect, he is human, and he chooses to handle his mistakes as a lesson.

When homophobic tweets from his past resurfaced in the public domain, he did not give a political answer, he did not hide, he owned up to his error and did not make excuses.

Leaders are not trustworthy, a Harvard Business Review survey found that while 58% of people trust strangers, only 42% trust their own boss. Another study of 7,209 executives, managers, and employees by Leadership IQ found that only 20% of people strongly trust their top management. 36% moderately trust their executives, while the remaining 44% range from not trusting to strongly distrusting.

One of the key drives to build trust is, to be honest, and truthful. That means even when you make a mistake own it. This makes you more accessible as it shows you are human and you mess up. No one wants a politician answer just straight up honest truth.

See Stormzy’s statement below. Again, holding accountability and commitment to change.

“I said some foul and offensive things whilst tweeting years ago at a time when I was young and proudly ignorant. Very hurtful and discriminative views that I’ve unlearned as I’ve grown up and become a man … The comments I made were unacceptable and disgusting, full stop. Comments that I regret and to everyone I’ve offended, I am sorry, these are attitudes I’ve left in the past … I take responsibility for my mistakes and hope you can understand that my younger self doesn’t reflect who I am today.”

Key takeaway? One of the key drivers to building trust is honesty. That means when you make a mistake, own it. Learn from it. This makes you more accessible and relatable because it shows your humanity. No one wants a political answer, just straight up, honest truth.

HE SPEAKS UP FOR INJUSTICE

Stormzy uses his position and platform to speak out. He has loudly supported Jeremy Corbyn, stating that “he is the first man in a position of power who is committed to giving power back to the people and helping those who need it the most.”

He called out PM Boris Johnson on his racist statements towards black people. On the biggest night of his career, he made history as the first Black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury, and lead the crowd as they sang “Vossi Bop”, his No 1 single which features the lyric “F*** the government and f*** Boris”.

After winning British Male Solo Artist and Best British Album at the BRIT Awards, he called out Theresa May in regards to the Grenfell tragedy, where 72 people were killed when a block of flats in London caught fire. He called her out for the fact that relatives are still awaiting compensation.

“Theresa May, where’s the money for Grenfell? … [you] just forgot about Grenfell, you criminals, and you got the cheek to call us savages.”

There has been an abundance of press releases, statements and donations by companies in off the back of the murder of George Floyd, but when it comes to speaking up about injustice, leaders with platforms — the ones who have the power to influence most, have remained silent.

Before George Floyd’s death, there were multiple cases of police brutality in the UK and US, yet silence. There have been complaints of racism, yet with NDA’S and settlements, silence remains. Data on how much companies have spent settling racial discrimination cases over the last 2 decades was not widely available, but to put this into context, Merrill Lynch spent half a billion dollars over a 15 year period.

Key takeaway? This is not a time to prioritise your comfort, this is not a time to be cautious over saying the wrong thing or how white counterparts may perceive you. This is a time to use your voice, stand up and be counted.

People do not care how much you know until you show how much you care which is why Stormzy is so greatly admired, leaders need to emulate him and be vocal.

“As a young black man coming from the community that I come from, I recognise that I have responsibilities. If I’m going to be on stage for five minutes at the Brit Awards, I have a responsibility. Bearing in mind that not one of us has been on that stage for a very long time, if it’s ever happened. If I have five minutes, I’ve got to use that time wisely.”

HE THINKS OUTSIDE THE BOX & EMBRACES TALENT

When you think of Stormzy, you might not put him in the publishing box, yet he curated #Merky Books in partnership with Penguin Random House.

Why? To give a home to a new generation of readers and writers. The aim is to provide a platform for the best new voices of today, and to seek out talented young writers from all backgrounds. True inclusive disruption.

Publishing is an area where people from underprivileged backgrounds are not widely represented. Not because there is a lack of talent, but because the gate keeps closing the doors. With the launch of #Merky Books, Stormzy opened those gates.

“We will be using this as a platform for young writers to become published authors, I know too many talented writers that don’t always have an outlet or a means to get their work seen and hopefully #Merky Books can now be a reference point for them to say ‘I can be an author’ and for that to be a realistic and achievable goal.”

In addition, he funded the ‘Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students’ at the University of Cambridge which covers tuition costs for two students and maintenance grants for up to four years.

‘There are so many young black kids all over the country who have the level of academic excellence to study at a university such as Cambridge — however we are still under-represented at leading universities. We, as a minority, have so many examples of black students who have excelled at every level of education throughout the years. I hope this scholarship serves as a small reminder that if young black students wish to study at one of the best universities in the world, then the opportunity is yours for the taking — and if funding is one of the barriers, then we can work towards breaking that barrier down.’

Stormzy, who is an ambassador at the incredible Carney’s Community which gets disadvantaged and excluded young people off the street and away from a life of crime and despair by giving them skills, discipline and self-respect.

Key takeaway? Make a commitment to being truly inclusive. Inclusive leaders tap into the talents and motivations of their teams. They are understanding and genuinely interested in others regardless of background or race. A preference for the familiar way of doing things only keeps from initiating or embracing change.

WHY IT MATTERS

By 2025, roughly 65% of the global labour force will be made up of Millennials and Generation Z.

In the workplace, these people want to hear more voices and ideas, and they want to facilitate more open conversations by creating an inclusive environment.

Employees do not stay silent anymore when things go wrong, they speak up in anonymous medium articles, tweets, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook posts for the whole world to see. They take pride in the way that they care for change and they are transparent about it.

Recent protest across the world highlighting the systematic racism black people face have been filled with 18 to 29-year-old adults who account for 52 per cent of all adults who have protested according to a poll released by Kaiser Family Foundation.

The #MeToo movement is a prime example which was birthed from exposés on sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men in Hollywood.

Key takeaway? Leaders need to think outside of the box when it comes to hiring talent and building teams. They need to be transparent.

The reason there is only one Black CEO on the FTSE 100 and five black CEOs running a Fortune 500 company is not reflective of talent but “groupthink” and “cultural fit” (you can read my Cultural Add Not C̶u̶l̶t̶u̶r̶a̶l̶ ̶F̶i̶t̶ article for further clarification)

Millennials and Gen Z will no longer stand for excuses from organisations, they want to see diversity on boards and at all levels.

If leaders are going to create truly inclusive cultures which represent the demographic that they serve they need to change the way things are done.

Leadership

7 Key Strategies to Lead Your Business Through the Crisis Of 2020 & Beyond

Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, most companies were opposed to the idea of their employees working from home. The general concern was around productivity and trust. Completely understandable, especially for leaders who are used to the corporate model.

Concerns included:

Benefits of virtual jobs falling in favour of the workforce
Loss of credibility with clients or investors without office space to hold meetings
Employees will not be readily available for urgent matters
Remote staff will be distracted by personal affairs
A little more life than work on the work-life balance scale

The thing is, the coronavirus pandemic has made these concerns redundant and leaders have been presented with an opportunity to reexamine and to reset. Prior to the pandemic employee engagement figures were 29% on average based on recent Gallup surveys.

Work post-COVID-19 is going to be different, Good leaders who exhibit these seven qualities will rise, successfully steering their company and team through the crisis and beyond and the bad leaders will be exposed.

During a crisis, your responsibility as a leader is to build winning relationships with your people by taking a genuine interest in them. If you are invested in them, they invest back into you and your company.

So, here is how to lead your team through a crisis while ensuring you come out stronger on the other side.

1. Purpose

It starts with purpose. A modern-day leader’s purpose is to help their staff achieve their goals in and outside of work. Even if that means they might leave your company in a few years — your job is to help people be the best they possibly be can be in all aspects of their lives.

When we show our team members that we are personally invested in them, they will naturally want to show appreciation. We need to build a culture of empowerment and growth — a culture based on humanity. Your team members are not numbers; they are human beings. Now is the time to show them they matter.

To show them what they mean to you, you need to communicate, be vulnerable, flexible, embrace employee diversity and be adaptable.

2. Communication

So, how do you communicate effectively in a virtual manner? One-on-one video sessions work the best. By having frequent check-ins with your team members over video, you will build trust.

People’s stress levels are higher when they work remotely. They assume that you, as their boss, have little trust in them because you cannot micro-manage them.

The difference between video chat and email communication is enormous — would you respond better to an email update on the state of your company from your employers, or something like this? Exactly, there is no comparison.

Arne Sorenson commits to forgoing his own salary for the rest of the year, cutting the wages of his executives by 50% to ensure he is supporting his staff as best he can. He communicates this face to face, directly and clearly.

He does so in a way that many leaders in business and elsewhere fail to grasp — through personal connection and honesty. Leading in a way where he is hoping for the best but acknowledging and preparing for the worst. Using the Stockdale Paradox is an effective way of making it through hardship and reaching your goals.

3. Vulnerability

Being open and vulnerable when communicating will give your people confidence and hope, which is what they need. It also displays your authenticity. By showing who you are, and how you are dealing with this crisis, your team will see you as human.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it is having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage. People who wade into discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories are the real badasses.” — Brene Brown

Going forward in a post-COVID-19 world, vulnerability is vital in building trust with remote working practices.

4. Flexibility

During this time and beyond, it’s crucial to be flexible with your staff — especially those with kids. As opposed to measuring their performance on how many hours they’re online, you should measure it on output.

Take parents, for example, if you are flexible with them, they can tend to their children and still get the work done while the kids are asleep. Gone are the days of a 9–5 timeline.

Decide on core hours (when you may need them for urgent tasks — where everyone should be online), but otherwise let them be. By putting trust in them, there is less chance of them letting you down — especially given the times.

When it comes to meetings, make it known in advance what day and time — set a recurring catch-up or all-staff meeting for weekly check-ins.

If their work does not have a strict deadline, try to be as flexible as you can, as long as the job gets done well.

Embracing the remote work model and being patient as your staff adapts is crucial. According to a GWA survey, remote work could Save the U.S. Over $700 Billion a Year and Much More in the years to come.

5. Diversity

Diversifying your leadership team and staff has so many benefits, especially during a crisis. If you want to build teams or organisations capable that will innovate, diversity is critical. By having voices that represent all cultures and backgrounds, you are challenged to look at problems differently — leading to creativity.

Diversity inspires the quest for new information and perspectives, leading to better decision making and problem-solving. Look at these incredible female leaders, for example — leading whole countries in authentic ways through COVID-19.

A very effective principal for diversity is Bottom-Up Leadership. Leaders need to create a space where people feel comfortable enough to share their points of view.

By taking this approach, you can not only cut costs significantly but also realise your goals more rapidly because managers and employees are motivated to help. Changes are then also more likely to stick if they come from within.

Leaders set the goal to provide direction but to achieve the goal they need to trust and rely on the wealth of information they are sitting on. Sure, one individual may not have the answer, but a focused workforce will.

6. Adaptability

Adaptability speaks to a change in mindset, a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is rigid and inflexible, leaders need a growth mindset which coincides with the times, and right now, there is no rule book.

Things are changing every day; therefore, leaders need to be adaptable to make the best decisions for their company. You need to think long-term — how can you ensure your people come out stronger on the other side of this?

You should also be adaptable with your employees because when all of this is over, they will remember the companies that were human when they needed it the most. It’s about relationships. Think about ways in which you can promote a fun and uplifting work culture over digital channels. Think virtual happy hours and morning coffee meetings. Create a space for people to talk one-on-one as well as in a group setting and check in on people before just launching into work business.

This is the time to build trust, with a lot of people having shared experiences. It’s an excellent opportunity to break down barriers.

7. Lead by Example

People are watching what leaders are doing and saying because just like a child learns from his parents’ actions, not their words so do employees. Leaders should practise and model self-care to their staff as well as being conscientious about their words and behaviours.

As someone who people look up to, now, more than ever, you need to lead by example. You need to set the tone. You can do so through flexibility and transparency. Adjust your team’s priorities according to the broader landscape — based on what is possible now.

Give them time to adjust and reinforce your dedication to them by giving them a look into how your day-to-day has changed, how you are dealing with it and how you plan to overcome it.

An opportunity to build real relationships

Anytime things get shaken up, there is a potential for a positive change. This crisis is global, and we’re all affected in some way.

Use the fact that we’re all in this together as an opportunity to uplift your staff and build for the future.

Moments of crisis unveil a great deal about those around you. Once the immediate fire is extinguished, and you have a moment to reflect, think about who stepped up, who struggled, and why. Consider how roles will evolve in a post-COVID-19 world and whether your key managers are positioned for success.

May 19, 2020