Leave the title of “leader” to inspire action
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” - Henry Ford
Companies always want to find out how they can achieve more success, and with today’s business landscape and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this goal has taken on a new urgency. Maybe your organization has reached out to consultants or implemented processes and procedures to find new revenue streams or paths for growth.
However, too often, we overlook the answer that’s right in front of us.
I’ve learned that the only way for a company to really succeed is to build a great team. You can do more with your team than you could ever accomplish alone, no matter your position in an organization.
How can you inspire and motivate your team so that everyone achieves success together?
Leave the “leader” label behind
We hear a lot about being the “leader” of our team. I dislike that term and I will explain why. Often, we expect a team’s leader to develop a plan, which is then dictated to team members. Feedback is limited to the practicalities of implementing the leader’s strategy. The team is considered a group of followers who simply carry out actions to achieve objectives developed without their input.
With this leader/followers approach, companies lose the value of their employees' insights, limiting their vision and, ultimately, their success. When team members from all levels are included as early as possible, especially during the strategy and research phases, you’ll discover creativity and innovation that can inspire a fresh vision for a project.
At Al Masaood Automobiles, we predicted an industry disruption and started our digital transformation three years ago with Project Falcon. Built using an omnichannel approach, we launched the region’s first car buying e-commerce website. Right from the start, we worked with teams from every level, especially sales and customer service, who gave priceless insights into customer requirements, wants, and needs - most importantly, in depth information on their buying behaviors. I do not doubt that approaching the project as an organization-wide, collaborative process resulted in a better, more efficient process and development for ourselves, and a superior product for our customers.
Inspiring action with your mission and vision statements
A company’s mission and vision statements should clearly detail its purpose, goals, and values. These statements should be actionable so that each member of your organization is working toward the same objective together. However, this only really works when everyone, from the C-suite to the most junior employee, lives and breathes your mission and vision statements.
At Al Masaood Automobiles, our mission to become better, stronger, and faster inspires everything we do. More importantly, we all work together by inviting everyone to share their ideas about turning this mission into action. Our most outstanding achievements come from each one of us applying our company’s mission statement to our goals.
Trust your team
Your team members are your most valuable resource, and for many organizations, they are a source of untapped potential. Companies who trust their employees and give them an amount of autonomy in their position create enthusiastic partners who want to help the business succeed.
By building trust with your team, you and your company are tapping into a vital part of your organization’s strength, creativity, and innovation. After all, your team members have the most contact with your target market, work with your products and services every day, and are usually the first to hear your customers’ feedback.
I’ve been with Al Masaood Automobiles twice now in my career – they are family. Everyone on the teams takes personal responsibility for their work and continually strives for excellence. There is an understanding that we need each other to achieve our collective company goals, and when we do, we achieve our individual goals; whether it’s saving for our kids to attend University or the next family holiday, or the latest iPhone for ourselves. We work to foster mutual respect for all positions because we know, everyone’s individual effort is vital to our success.
We can achieve more together. When we recognize our teams as knowledgeable and creative, trusted partners, we find real success for everyone.
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.
Irfan Tansel’s Latest Press
