Leadership is not just for delivery

When I first started my career, I was focused on what made me a good employee. Now a few years into my career and in a management position, I ask myself, what makes a good employer? Rather than how can I work for this employer, I ask how can organisation leadership and culture mean the job works for its employees?

The Housing LIN Future Leaders Programme provided the opportunity to step outside of my own head (and Wales!) and ask these questions amongst others.

It was interesting to hear from speakers how their careers have seen the shift from autocratic individuals to leadership teams. The programme has raised interesting conversations on what exactly organisational culture is and how leaders can influence this. For me, this speaks to a shift away from leadership as a method of delivering numbers to leadership that develops a culture that values purpose.

In the housing sector especially, this often means serving a person, rather than a ‘thing’. It’s rare to see an organisation without a mission statement, including my own at Care & Repair Cymru, which is ‘Improving Homes, Changing Lives’. Even giant global commercial players like Microsoft declare their mission statement is “to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more”, although they have a hefty range of purchasable products to help us do that.

Listening to the speakers from the Future Leaders Programme, it struck me how engaged these leaders were. Under their leadership, statements have gained actions. I’ll take from this programme that the best way to lead is to take a statement and lay other tools on top of it – an open, clear vision and culture that enables people to think for themselves and provides the freedom to try new things within that vision, knowing that they will be supported to create their own opportunities and mistakes.

Finally, I caught up with Professor Roy Sandbach’s online session delivered in October 2023 and found his three key principles to being a good leader - KEN - a helpful, concise way to put what I have learnt over the course of the Housing LIN Future Leaders Programme into practice.

K nowledge – to continually look outside.

E xpertise – to underpin core capability.

N etworks – to find solutions.

In the spirit of Professor Sandbach’s reference to the cinematic zeitgeist, I will leave you with my own:

B ravery – to create an environment where people are confident to take risks.

A daptability – to respond to challenges.

R eflective – to continuously improve.

B old – to try new things.

I ntegrity – to lead by example.

E mpowering – to develop future leaders.

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Faye's blog is one of 9 from the 3rd cohort of the Housing LIN’s Future Leaders Programme, which is sponsored by Inspired Villages Group, that we are publishing in the lead up to our virtual Summit – A Festival of Ideas and the virtual session on Tuesday, 29 February 2024 (10:30am -pm - 12:00 pm). Register now for Cultivating Leadership: Inspiring the Next Wave of Talent and Future Leaders.

Find out more about Housing LIN’s Future Leaders Programme and read the other blogs once published.