Lasting Power - It is time to reflect on what makes a truly powerful and influential Leader (July 1)

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With the release of our Power 100 list coinciding with the finals of the 2012 European Football tournament, much time has been spent this week reflecting on what it is to have power and influence and what makes a good leader.

Lyndon B. Johnson once commented succinctly that “the only real power available to a leader is the power of persuasion.

In this region, where we are acting in a multi-cultural environment, persuasion is particularly complicated; understanding power structures, whose interests to appeal to, even what these interests are exactly.

On top of that, language barriers can exacerbate the breakdown in communication, particularly if you are unable to access the right audience and communicate clearly.

Many of the most influential in the Middle East, though never mentioned on any power lists, wield considerable power in terms of the ability to indirectly determine courses of action by having the ears and trust of decision makers.

When it comes to having the power to get your will through, there is much to be said about empathy, understanding and humility.

We talk a lot about learning from our mistakes even though we repeat them over and over again.

Not because we do not know any better, but because many do not want to lose face by admitting a mistake the first time around. Pride can get the best of us, and can break down relationships for no good reason; whether between nations, business partners or co-workers.

Interviewed in 2004, the secretary of defense under JFK, Robert McNamara said: “In the case of Vietnam, we did not know them well enough to empathise.

They believed that we had simply replaced the French as a colonial power, and we were seeking to subject South and North Vietnam to our colonial interests, which was absolutely absurd.

And we, we saw Vietnam as an element of the Cold War. Not what they saw it as: a civil war.”

It is harrowing to hear this man, responsible for the war at the height of its intensity, now admitting, or seemingly coming to the ultimate realisation that it was fundamentally a matter of a simple misunderstanding.

When misconceptions from history’s greatest leaders can lead to devastation on this scale, it is somehow a consolation when hearing about joint ventures faltering due to incorrect assumptions about the incentives and motives of people and organisations.

A key component of business is the ability to align interests and maintain stable relations between partners and not let pride become a factor. There is an irony in how success, especially if it comes quickly and unexpectedly, can be the cause of downfall.

When profits and organisations grow, egos tend to follow along the same kind of path, with interests on status and recognition becoming narrower. I think we have all seen organisations becoming handicapped by a culture of self-promotion due to taking undue credit, shifting blame or finding scapegoats. It is easy to give in to the temptation of attributing too much of a company’s success to one’s own input and start feeling entitled to an unreasonable amount of credit.

Many philosophies of management, like Taylorism, even seem to encourage a paternalistic approach that overestimates the ability to command and control outcomes. Being able to maintain a work atmosphere where he or she who takes credit is perceived as secondary to the task at hand.

Making team members feel that their mutual interests are aligned, and also that they are part of a greater cause and purpose, is far larger than mere self-interest.

Being able to achieve that balance is the real mettle of leadership and lasting power. It is with these thoughts in mind that we hope you enjoy this year’s Power 100 list, which we are sure will generate much debate as to the true qualities of leadership, and the values attached to these.