Articles   •   April 26, 2017

Launching in Spiegel’s living room in 2011 as an iOS-only app, Snapchat has come a long way in its journey to become what is likely the most expensive Big Tech IPO with a valuation of $25 billion USD.

It may be one of the biggest but it definitely won’t be the last. And the question beckons: “What makes organisations succeed?”

A quick search on Google will bring you to a myriad (and possibly innumerable amount) of articles from a wide range of publishers. One thing in common that these articles highlight, which I believe is the crux, is of the subject of ‘Leadership’. Of course, there are many models of leadership and there is no universal leadership go-to-solutions in leading a company.

But of all things definite or indefinite, the effects of leadership can only go two ways: The success or eventual failure of your organisation.

Here are 3 key points in navigating the increasingly changing landscape of leadership.

Vision Is Not An Option

“Where there is no vision, the people perish…” – Proverbs 29:18

Forbes released an interesting article on Snapchat in 2014, on how Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg reached out to Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel. Zuckerberg flew to meet Spiegel in 2012 with a specific agenda in mind, to crush Snapchat with a nearly identical product, which we all know how it turned out to be a flop. What is interesting is the response that Spiegel (and his cofounder, Bobby Murphy) had when they returned to their office: they ordered a copy of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War for each of their employees. Chapter 6 in the Art of War is a compilation with an overarching theme of weak points and strong points; a theory of attack and defence. Sensing a greater potential, Spiegel and Murphy turned down Zuckerberg’s offer, in their second meeting, to purchase Snapchat for $3 billion in cash. They had a vision for Snapchat to turn the social media hierarchy upside-down. “There are very few people in the world who get to build a business like this,” says Spiegel. “I think trading that for some short-term gain isn’t very interesting.”

The Art of Communication is Crucial

“Communication is the most important skill any leader can possess” – Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group

The main premise of business is about people. It has always been and It will always be. Organisations often fail not because of the inability to understand their businesses. Rather they often fail because of the inability of the leaders to understand the people behind the business.

Barack Obama is remembered as an excellent communicator. And he certainly captured the hearts and minds of not only the people of the United States of America, but also the rest of the world. Mastering the art of communication isn’t merely limited to just being a charismatic speaker. The art of listening, writing, and reading is also as equally important. The ability to speak with passion and the ability to make your ideas and vision understandable and memorable is highly crucial to any leader. Fortunately for us, great communicators are not born, they are made.

Leaders Shape Culture (For good or bad)

“I need leadership help,” Travis Kalanick, Uber CEO, wrote in a post on the company’s website in the aftermath of being caught on video arguing with a Uber driver. This may only be the tip of the iceberg in Uber’s organisation in what the New York Times describes as an aggressive and unrestrained workplace culture. The resignation of Jeff Jones, the president of Uber, after only 6 months into the job indicates a case of ineffective leadership in Uber.

“It is now clear, however, that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ride-sharing business,” in a statement Jeff said to Recode.

These are only a handful of the many leadership related issues that have rocked Uber. Will these issues have severe future implications to the ride-hailing giant’s organisation? Only time can tell.

The Bottom Line 

The lesson here is that organisational success hinges on the effectiveness of leadership. Leaders need to be visionaries in order to drive the continual growth of the organisation. The vision needs to be communicated in an understandable manner while taking into consideration of the people in your organisation. Ultimately, this cultivates a culture which provides the mechanism to drive healthy growth.

About the Author(s):

Wilson Soo is the Head of Leadership & Coaching at Evant & Co., a management consulting firm with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Our purpose is to help our people and our clients to realise their aspirations while improving lives through business. We advise leaders on strategy, human capital, digital, and outsourcing.