[Leadership Summit] Great leadership is the antidote to great change

Discovery CEO Adrian Gore was witty, direct and engaging this morning in addressing the attributes of success. He presented a handy popular business roadmap (drawn mostly from business books out there) that seemed to promote the journey to success as such: ‘You drop out of college... come up with an idea... start a business in your garage... and become a millionaire overnight.'

It's a seductive idea but since he didn't get to drop out of college, he had to ask whether he had a future. Actually it's a statistically bankrupt idea; there's only so many Richard Bransons out there and one never hears about the legions of college dropouts who failed and ended up living off their parents! He says the world would have you believe that there are certain attributes to success based on the business books on the shelf. The fact is that you only hear about the ones who succeeded, not the ones who failed.

That's very true. Maybe someone should write a book?

So Gore decided to focus on the attributes of success instead. One thing is true, he says, is that successful leaders do share certain attributes and, over the past few years, Discovery has synthesised those attributes and distilled them into seven points. He did emphasise though, that it doesn't take a lot to change an entity or lift the GDP of a country, repeating what he said at the press conference yesterday - that it would only take 20 entrepreneurs to build a company the same size of Discovery to raise the GDP of the country:

1. He emphasises that it is not rocket science this, but it does take positive and optimistic people. That's the fuel, he says, for everything. And it doesn't mean being a party animal. The kind of quality that builds greatness is a quality that believes in opportunity. It is difficult to differentiate in good times, but it is easier in bad times. It's about an innate belief that you can find your way through. He believes that when you are positive, you make better decisions.
2. The ability to set dreams and goals. Adults have lost that ability. Many set plans, 18-month, two-year plans... that's not a dream, says Gore, that's bureaucracy! The man makes a lot of sense. It's dreaming that separates mediocrity from greatness.
3. Sense of urgency - time is limited. Take action. Through a complicated series of graphs and data, Gore tried to illustrate that we have very little time to leave a legacy, so start immediately.
4. Never stop learning. The tragedy of human evolution is that we don't often try break free of shackles of past learning, even when that learning no longer serves us (like negative thinking from our school years and preconceptions about our abilities). Knowledge is the antidote for time... knowledge gives a great ability to leave a legacy, Gore points out.
5. Persistency: you can work harder. Basically, unless you are dead, you can do more - you just need to work differently, but you can do more. He used Prof Tim Noakes' research into how brain and body works during exercise and how athletes ‘fool the brain' in doing more even when you tired. Great leaders do what is necessary.
6. The power of innovation is not about the ‘big idea' or an invention like the iPhone. The power of innovation is often in places you don't expect.
7. Successful leaders have integrity and honesty. The sacrifice you make to be successful, taking you away from family and the things you value - Gore says it's not worth doing it unless you are doing it honestly. People don't value an alpha male telling them how to do things.

Inspirational guy.

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