The document discusses Bob Geldof's unconventional leadership style, highlighting his success in rallying global efforts for humanitarian causes like Live Aid. It emphasizes the need for modern leaders to move beyond traditional management structures and focus on strategic alignment, purpose, trust, and dialogue to achieve organizational goals in a rapidly changing global environment. Additionally, the text reflects on research by Hay Group exploring the traits that set leaders apart, particularly in fast-growing markets like India.

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Leading with Chief Executive magazine about what
the best companies do to develop their
Sir Bob Geldof organised Live Aid
in a Global
leaders. We’ve also had the privilege of
Associate Director
in 1985 and Live8 in 2005. He has
working with the Indian government to
Stephen Welch
Hay Group UK
received an honorary knighthood
Workplace
identify what makes effective leaders in one
of the most diverse and dynamic economies for his humanitarian work, and was
in the world. And my colleague, Emmanuel named Man of Peace by winners
Gobillot, has recently published his analysis of the Nobel Peace Prize. Sir Bob
of the Connected Leader. will be speaking at Hay Group’s
International Conference, 9-11 May
Another new concept that Hay Group has 2007 in Budapest.
been looking into is strategic alignment. In
Ask someone to name some management gurus and it’s a pretty safe bet other words, how organisations can ensure
that the name Bob Geldof won’t come top of their list. On the face of it, that every one of their employees is pushing
in the same direction.
the rock star who sang about hating Mondays might sound like one of the
most unlikely experts on management issues. Put all these very different pieces of research
into the pot and what is interesting is how
they paint a surprisingly clear, coherent
And yet Geldof’s achievements suggest that Geldof might not look like a corporate picture of how a leader should behave at the
he might have a lot to teach us about how leader and not many people could or start of the twenty-first century and how
to achieve goals through new leadership would be able to address shareholders and these leaders are going to be different from
techniques. After all, here is someone who employees with his colourful language. But previous generations.
assembled one of the biggest pop concerts I’ll bet those stakeholders would be pleased
in history and – as a result – the way we with the outcomes he achieved.
think about Africa, poverty, fund-raising Why traditional management structures
and the way rich and poor nations live More interestingly still, the way in which aren’t working
alongside each other has never been the Geldof brought about this change of Think about Bob Geldof again. He had
same since. thinking and energy of action resonates a belief that the traditional structures for
with much of the research we’ve been helping Africa weren’t working and that a lot
He did it by anticipating a change in the doing at Hay Group into what makes truly of people in the West were too focused on
world environment, working outside exceptional leaders. their own short term goals to create global
the formal structures of the economy to leadership. He decided that people could
energise people around a shared vision and For the last ten years, Hay Group has make a difference and together, we could
using his connected global leadership skills been carrying out research with Fortune create a shared success story. The way he did
to create success. magazine into the ingredients for global it was by thinking outside the traditional
success. We’ve recently started partnering environment and working outside accepted
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2. Leading in a Global Workplace
FOCUS FOCUS
structures. He worked in a connected way people operating at the right level are going Sponsored by Bharat Petroleum Corporation, one of India’s
to align people around his shared vision. to be so much in demand?
leading oil and gas companies, Hay Group carried out an
Geldof offers a model for how to be Secondly, millions of baby boomers are intensive year-long study of India’s CEOs. The research
successful in a complicated, changing about to retire. Some data suggests that
global environment. One of the things half of all senior managers are going to step
examined the traits, behaviours and motives of 30 of India’s
Hay Group’s research has shown is that down in the next five to ten years. Thirdly, top CEOs. Through extensive interviews in which the
whereas at one time companies used to a lot of people in their forties are looking executives spoke in detail of both successful and frustrating
enjoy formality and stability, these days the at their work/life balance and saying “I
norm is increasingly about change, osmosis could easily work four days a week or go experiences as leaders, our researchers identified four key
and efforts to connect people at a human freelance.” areas that set Indian CEOs apart from outstanding top
level.
So, probably for the first time since the
executives in other countries.
My colleague, Emmanuel Gobillot, talks Black Death, the limiting factor for
in his book about reduced boundaries organisational growth is more likely to be
between companies and their consumers. the restricted availability of leaders and
Increasingly organisational structures are workers, not resources or consumers.
fluid and managers are finding that you
can’t succeed by working with the hierarchy Looking beyond your own resources
any more. Instead you need to make those These days, many organisations have
connections through people. A lot of realised that to achieve their objectives
organisations set their managers up with they need to work in partnership with
short term targets and goals - this year’s others, without just relying on their own
results, next month’s targets or daily crisis. resources. That might mean working with
They’ve got to captain their little boat and other organisations and even competitors.
because it’s very hard for them to see the Leaders therefore need to work hard not to
big picture, they forget where the whole just focus their own resources but persuade
armada is going. others to achieve objectives. Now it’s not
so much command and control as support
That’s understandable, but there are and succeed.
changes in society that threaten to sink that
little boat unless managers accept them and We will see even greater flattening of
embrace them. Firstly, research in India, structures and changing of boundaries.
China and South Africa, for instance, The blurring and changing of organisation
reveals that there will be a shortage of talent boundaries, coupled with the need to react
in these fast growing markets. How can to the pace of change, means that global
organisations deliver that growth when leaders need to behave differently. It is
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3. Leading in a Global Workplace
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In the twenty-first century it’s not a case of India catching up with the rest of the world,
it’s a case of the rest of the world catching up with India.
less about the formal organisation and hard bit - you don’t ask for weekly reports
more about the informal: adding value by and keep on at them. Too many control
working through relationships and people, mechanisms are a sure sign of a badly
rather than functions and processes. aligned organisation with disconnected
leaders.
As I mentioned earlier, Hay Group recently So these are the two ingredients for success A connected leader in action:
worked with the government of India One connected leader we work with in the twenty-first century: the aligned “My biggest work challenge was when, for
to identify what was required to be a describes it as ‘tight-loose-tight’. In other organisation and the connected leader. the first time, I had more than one layer of
successful leader in this fast moving market. words, you are tight around the top - the management and I could not just go into
We discovered that four things are needed: mission or the vision of your organisation These are challenging concepts but as the everyone’s office. Suddenly I had to work
and very tight along the deliverable aspect world continues to change faster than ever
through others. If you don’t acquire that
 Socially responsible business excellence at the end of the process, but how people and our relationship with the organisations
skill you are limited in your ability to drive
 Ability to energise the team get there, how they set up and manage we work for evolves too, they are challenges
that no leader and company can avoid. a large organisation.”
 Skills in managing the environment things is left loose.
Working in this way turned Bob Geldof
 Inner strength
from being a band leader to a world leader Jean-Paul Garnier, CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
Secondly, there is the question of purpose.
What we’re now seeing is that those traits Connected leaders give meaning to and there are similar potential rewards Source: Financial Times, 13 Nov 2006
in business leaders are becoming more relationships by uniting stakeholders available to leaders in business who behave
and more important, not just in India but around a shared agenda or purpose. It’s in the right way.
around the whole world. In the twenty- important to remember that consent is
first century it’s not a case of India catching not alignment. Some organisations think
up with the rest of the world, it’s a case that agreement is the same as alignment,
of the rest of the world catching up with speed is the same as progress and strategic
India. execution simply means operational
delivery. The best leaders and the best
Our research says that leaders need to get companies know the difference.
three simple things right: trust, purpose
and dialogue. Thirdly, dialogue. Connected leaders
encourage dialogue as a way of engaging
Trust, purpose and dialogue people, getting their alignment and
Many business leaders have a problem creating a human link with another
with trust. For example, if you have a person - be they a colleague, a customer
local office in Brazil you can either tell the or a competitor. This means working
people there in detail how to do the job or beyond conventional boundaries and
you can outline the general principles, give developing new relationships with anyone
them some coaching and support and let and everyone who can contribute towards
them get on with it. Then - and this is the achieving a successful outcome.
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