The 'hero' leader
In many ways, Lendl and Murray epitomised the power of collaboration. Just as the ‘hero’ leader is becoming a dinosaur in the workplace, so we are seeing more and more sportspeople like Murray openly acknowledge the support they receive from others. Murray has credited Lendl with helping him to learn from disappointment, and use it as a learning experience. This positive mindset should also help him to move on from his relationship with Lendl and build on the success they achieved together.
Steve Jobs and Tim Cook were a powerful partnership at the helm of Apple when Jobs was CEO and Cook was COO. Many felt that when Jobs stood down due to illness and Cook took over, it was the end of the road for one of the world’s most admired companies. Whereas Jobs was a classic ‘hero’ leader who epitomised the values of Apple, Cook proved to be more collaborative (for example, sharing the platform with fellow directors at Apple’s famous product launches). Despite some ups and downs, Apple remains the largest and most profitable technology company in the US. Cook has always acknowledged the legacy of Jobs, describing his predecessor as “an amazing human being” and saying that he “finds enormous strength in memories of his friendship, vision and leadership”.
Partnerships are becoming more common at the top of organisations. Just look at the growing number of ‘chief’s in the average big corporation – as well as the CEO, there’s often the COO, CMO, CKO, CFO, CLO, CIO – all sharing responsibilities. Connected, collaborative leadership is becoming the norm.
The power of collaboration
Angela Ahrendts is preparing to stand down as Burberry’s CEO to join Apple’s executive team. Taking over from her will be Christopher Bailey, currently Burberry’s chief creative officer. Until now the two have forged a strong partnership, with Ahrendts openly attributing much of Burberry’s success to Bailey. Like Lendl and Murray, they epitomise the power of collaboration. Their achievements in revamping the luxury goods company during a global economic crisis and increasing its value from £2billion to £7 billion are well documented, and the fashion label has consistently outperformed the FTSE 100.
So not only is collaboration and partnership increasingly important – the ability to move on from successful relationships is important too. More and more organisations are dealing with colossal complexity and uncertainty. Agility is a prized leadership attribute. The ability to deal with the unexpected is essential. It’s also easier to do when leadership is shared. An over-reliance on one individual can prevent organisations from responding swiftly to an unexpected departure, or a market crisis, or a great opportunity. In these situations, it makes sense to put egos to one side and draw on the strength of collective talent.
Before Andy Murray worked with Ivan Lendl, he already had what it took to succeed. Lendl coached Murray to draw on his own strengths to achieve his goals. Hopefully Murray will build on this and find another coaching partner to help build on his tremendous success.
Nicky Little is head of leadership at Cirrus
