Sunday, 01 June 2008 22:25
Globalisation Can Be Achieved Through a Leader Not Talking
Things are not like they used to be. Day by day costs are rising, the difference between product qualities is deteriating and the demand of consumers is continuing to rise. In order to stay standing new ways are being sought to overtake competitors. Market and trend analysis is not executed as company owners are too busy trying to match their competitors instantaniously, which could result in profit margins decreasing. In order for companies to stay standing they need to expand and while doing so they need to make money. Alternatively it is impossible for them to maintain presence in the everchanging global platform. Most companies live by the day, take momentary actions and depend on senior management. If senior management can provide leadership their chance of succeeding is higher because they are able to articulate their vision and enable staff to follow them. A team with a vision will develop themselves as well as produce new leaders from within. A successful leader means the company is expanding and making money.
Infact a successful leader is nothing but a person who articulates the objective. This is easier said than done as team member will not believe what is said until they believe in the leader. A leader who has team members that believe in him has a team that will structure their own future.
The legend CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, once said “ the future Jack Welch will be nothing like me. I spent my whole career in the USA. The new CEO will need to travel to Bombay, Hong Kong,Buenos Aires. We need to send our most qualified and promising executives worldwide and provide the necessary training in order to produce global leaders for GE”. This leadship approach enabled GE to be one of the most successful worldwide companies.
The work of Ataturk proves how great a leader he was. Borders between countries are nearly nonexistent nowadays; East and West are closer, money and goods transfer are carried out easily, you can use the internet via mobile phones, there is no stone left unturned. In addition it seems like the Far East and Asia have become the steam engine of global economy.
There are still managers worldwide who refuse to change in line with the global transition, these are just your normal managers and nothing to do with leadship.
A real leader is one that creates the future, makes something out of nothing and knows that doing the same thing in a different way won’t change anything. That is why they are constantly looking ahead and persuading people to set their own North Star and follow it.
In 1923 Ataturk said: “Look at the rising sun from the East. I see the rising of Eastern people as I see the rising of the sun. There are many fellow nations that seek independence and sovereignty. Imperialism will be abolished instead a new era will start where people of aall colour, religion and race will live in peace and harmony”.
This proves how Ataturk saw a united and globalised world 80-85 years ago. However, Turkey has been unable to show such success since his death.
There are some Turkish companies that have gone down the path stated by Ataturk. An example is Temsa who are working night and day to produce a global Turkish brand. With Mehmet Buldurgan, CEO of Temsa, as their leader since the crisis in 2001 the Company have adopted a vision of “Being a global brand”. In less than two years they have increase their factory numbers from one to three, one of them being overseas, and now have a pesence in over forty countries provideing new technologies. Temsa have established their Nort Star and are following it at full speed.
