A leader is not defined by title, a leader is defined by a person’s actions and ability to lead. Anyone with adequate work experience can manage a team but leading them is a different ball-game.

The common complaint I hear from people is this, “My boss is not a leader, he is just a commander.” How can we, as business leaders, be a true leader to our organisation?

In my tenure as a business owner, I’ve discovered 3 traits that is essential for anyone to be an inspirational business leader.

1. Vision 

In 1983, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple said, “What we want to do is to put an incredibly great computer in a book that you can carry around with you and learn how to use it in 20 minutes”. He was obviously talking about the iPad, but this statement was in 1983! The iPad was later launched in 2010.

What can we learn from this example?

Steve Jobs had the vision of the iPad 27 years before the birth of the product. Recently, in August 2018, Apple became the first company to cross 1 Trillion US dollars in market capitalisation. This is a classic example of how one man, with one vision, birthed a trillion-dollar company.

Another brilliant man with a vision is Jack Ma of Alibaba. In 1999, he gathered 17 people in his home, inspiring them to believe in his vision of an e-commerce company. In that defining moment, he managed to get them to fund and invest in Alibaba Group.

Note this, e-Bay was already in the market for 4 years at that time. But through it all, Jack Ma managed to galvanise his vision and rally his people. In 2014, Alibaba Group had an IPO of 25 billion US dollars, the world’s highest in history.

These two great entrepreneurs of our time show that it is important to have a vision for your company as a leader.

2. Strategy

Many of us have heard of GoPro, but how did their popularity come about? GoPro was founded by Nick Goodman. The business took an existing product, the camera –  and breathed freshness to it.

GoPro cameras became popular with its ability to hang on anything, creating massive viral videos on the internet involving animals, skateboarding, skydiving and countless other activities.

Here’s another example – Red Bull, an energy booster drink that is sweet and claims to give you energy. In 2012, Red Bull funded a helium balloon jump 39km above earth in a pressure suit. The jumper, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner, made the successful jump, free-falling for over 4 minutes before parachuting back to earth. This activity garnered millions of viewers.

What’s the point with the examples of these two founders? Only this – both founders are in a crowded market. There are numerous camera and energy drink companies in the marketplace all over the world. However, to put their brand above the rest, GoPro and Red Bull strategised on creating an experience for their customers instead of selling the product.

Focus on finding a strategy that creates an experience for your target consumers and you will differentiate your brand from your competitors significantly. Remember that consumers never really buy a product – they buy the experience or the benefit that comes along with it.

3. Inspire Change

In 2003, Lego was in debt to the tune of 800 Million US dollars. They were bleeding close to a million dollars every single day. Sales were at their lowest and the future looked bleak for the toy company.

However, in 2015, Lego had a miraculous turnaround. They became the world’s most powerful brand by boasting a profit of 600 million US dollars. The question is – how did Lego turn from a company drowning in debts to a hugely profitable company?

Here’s how. Lego brought in a new CEO, Jorgen Vig, someone who was not part of the family that created Lego. He came into the company with one sole purpose, to bring Lego back to its former glory and more.

He explored blue ocean strategies – tying up with big brands like Star Wars and Harry Potter. Additionally, he initiated a program to inspire girls to play with Lego, expanding their target consumers from boys to include girls as well.

Today, Lego produces 36 million pieces of toys annually. During the Christmas season, as much as 30 Lego sets are sold every single second around the world.

Leading for tomorrow

My friends, follow these 3 traits and you will be a better business leader. Go forth and inspire your organisation to drive your business to new heights.

Think far ahead, grab those who believe your vision, run far and always run together!

To your success,

Mario