How Leadership Has Changed Over Generations
Years back, mobile phones were still a rarity, people could only dream of self-driving cars, very few people would have considered buying a car online and for many, the internet was only just catching on. Closer home, the UAE was sparsely developed but over the years, there has been an explosion in the number of skyscrapers — and they keep getting taller. Decades later, it's obvious how much the world has changed. And so has leadership.
Having started as an apprentice to a mechanic and building myself up to leading teams in dealerships, I have seen how leadership has evolved over the years. And the changes don’t stop coming. Years back, leadership had walls and boundaries. Its core was power and control to drive performance. It was considered more of a rank to manage people than an opportunity to serve people.
In recent years, leadership has moved away from dominance or supremacy of any sort. And as the younger generations ascend in the workforce and become the majority, they are reshaping leadership hence a need for adaptive leadership.
Drivers of Change
Leaders are finding themselves leading in a very different world, one for which they were not prepared at all. And now, they must take a human-centered approach, and become more collaborative to make transformation happen.
Currently, businesses are mostly customer-centric. Being a dealership, for instance, putting up a billboard is no longer enough for us to get consumers heading into our dealership. Our core business is high-caliber service, providing convenience, friendly conversations, and happy customers, stemming from our innovative solutions.
I have led teams before and after dealing with several crises and what has made us successful across the board is the experiences of our customers and how strongly they bond with us. We have managed to stay on top of the game because the customer-first mindset across the board makes our teams better at their jobs. Today, a truly custom-centric culture starts with the leader and in order to succeed, the leader must understand and value the importance of customer experiences and empower their teams.
In addition, the current workforce is multi-generational and leading age-diverse teams can be challenging. But generational gaps stop mattering when we all focus on a common goal. For this reason, I have always made it a top priority to rally the entire team to run with the same purpose and passion. When people and their different experiences and points of view concierge, they create mind-blowing innovation. I’ve found that consistently investing time and energy in the people who matter to your business is an investment. To realize the benefits of a generationally diverse workforce, leaders must take charge and ensure the workforce appreciates each other’s unique preferences, habits, and behaviors and be enablers of tolerance. And I really enjoy being with the team.
Embracing the leadership styles of tomorrow
The need for a new leadership style has emerged in the business landscape. There is a shift from hard leadership to soft leadership and it has become more people-oriented than task-oriented. Through all these changes, it's gradually becoming clear that traditional ways of leading just don't cut it anymore.
This can be observed in the increasing awareness of how employees' different personalities affect how they respond to leadership. The new style of leadership also means that leaders must lead with consideration for the human side of things.
Leading with empathy: It is crucial to understand where your employees and customers are coming from to be able to meet their needs.
Learning through self-correction and reflection: It is important to let your employees know that you don't expect them to perfect what they're working on before presenting it to you or that sharing it with everyone else is important. The realization that whatever they bring forth can be course corrected, adjusted or made better encourages them to learn and fail early to get them to the top.
Lead with a coaching mindset: Seeing more in your people than they see in themselves encourages and motivates their commitment. Recognize their strengths and focus on the rewards they’ll get, not just the obstacles they’ll face along the way.
Build a truly customer-focused culture: Provide employees with the coaching and development to understand and align their own purpose and personal brand with how the company’s mission creates value for customers, then link it more directly to the company’s customer-centric strategies.
The pace of change is relentless, some of which can shake up entire industries in months or years. The way to thrive now and in the future as leaders, is to lead through influence and not the power of their positions. To be agile and adaptable, redefining business-as-usual approaches, and setting more sustainable and strategic leadership goals.
I have learned and am still learning and making sure I am in touch with myself and align with the future. One of the biggest lessons from my mentors is that the best leaders do not live day by day. They are always re-imagining, planning, and steering the ship.
The best thing about being a leader is being fortunate enough to be in a place where you can influence them to become the best version of themselves, enrich their lives and help them prosper in every way.
About the author
Irfan Tansel: Global Citizen and CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles
With over 40 years of experience spanning across three continents, Irfan Tansel is recognized as ‘100 inspiring leaders in the Middle East’ by Arabian Business magazine and ‘CEO of the Year’ by CEO Magazine, and he is driven to disrupt the automotive industry and to create a legacy.
Irfan’s passion for automobiles began at the age of 15 when he apprenticed as an auto mechanic. Now an entrepreneurial and visionary leader, Irfan is credited for his unique approach to innovation, employee engagement, and more recently, succeeding in a challenging market. In 2019 and 2020, Al Masaood Automobiles gained global recognition for re-strategizing; creating an omnichannel experience to prepare for Industry 4.0. Al Masaood Automobiles launched the region’s first e-commerce car buying website with Nissan, and a virtual, live & interactive sales platform. 2019 was a record-breaking year with Al Masaood Automobiles selling more cars than ever before.
Under Irfan’s leadership, Al Masaood Automobiles have been awarded numerous accolades. In both 2013 and 2019, Al Masaood Automobiles won the coveted Nissan Global Award, recognizing their outstanding performance and contribution to Nissan’s business.
Renault’s prestigious Global Partners Award (P.A.R.I.S. Challenge), received in 2020, is the highest accolade for car dealerships granted for exceptional performance in customer satisfaction, and in Sales and Aftersales – tapping into new market segments, strengthening the brand, and expanding their portfolio. They reported a staggering double digit sales growth, outperforming other Renault dealers around the globe.
With an unrelenting desire to best serve his customers, Irfan believes that “the road to recognition is built upon a commitment to leave behind the ordinary to achieve the extraordinary”. His competitive nature drives his vision to revolutionise the industry and lead the transition into a future where disruption capitalizes innovation. After achieving his goals and reaching the peak of his career, he is determined to motivate tomorrow’s leaders by sharing his extensive knowledge in leadership.
When Irfan isn’t preparing for a future of disruption, as electric cars, connectivity, autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing come into play, you can find him spending time with his family and playing golf.
For media and keynote inquiries, please email his brand manager Jen at Jen@prestidgegroup.com or call +971 55 719 3601. DOWNLOAD IRFAN’S MEDIA KIT.
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