Bryan Hattingh Of Cycan On Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
…When reflecting on what the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times, it is essential to start from the premise that turbulent times are situations or relationships in which there is a lot of change, confusion, disruption, and disorder. They are simultaneously times of tremendous opportunity. Highly effective leaders are first and foremost great leaders of self, which presupposes them to have an elevated level of self-awareness which they continually heighten…
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Bryan Hattingh. Bryan is a serial entrepreneur who has always approached life and his endeavors with youthful curiosity and a passionate expectancy for great things. Throughout his journey through this time called Life, he has unwaveringly believed that life happens for and not to him and that the only time a pursuit would be impossible is if he believed it to be so.
He is a global leadership voice and thought leader, who has crafted innovative and impactful journeys and programs over the last quarter of a century that have transformed the lives of thousands of leaders across industries.
Apart from his role as CEO, Bryan is a respected headhunter and career mentor, an internationally accredited Meta Coach, a writer, a business talk show host, an inspirational keynote speaker, and a passionate photographer, and is frequently referred to as a merchant of hope.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I started my career journey as a “propeller head”, a term used at that time to describe computer geeks. Whilst I was an accomplished computer programmer, I was the antithesis of a computer geek in that I had an overarching passion for people and was an out-and-out extrovert.
I moved up through the ranks quickly to become the Head of Software Development and Support for a software solutions company. The owners of the business decided to relocate the operation to San Diego and in doing so closed the local office. I had no alternative but to go to market to secure a new career opportunity.
I approached the then-premier IT recruitment company for their assistance in finding a new position, and after an almost four-hour conversation, I was offered a directorship and shareholding in their business.
It was an avenue I had never considered and yet on reflection, it made tremendous sense given my passion for people and my wanting to create a brave new world.
I spent two accomplished years within the business exceeding all previous levels of achievement and simultaneously saw the opportunity to take the service considerably up the value chain. The recruitment industry was fiercely competitive and transaction-centric, and I saw both the need and opportunity to create a career consultancy specializing in the IT sector.
It was a highly volatile and uncertain time in our country’s history (South Africa), and the industry was highly competitive and over-traded with opposition businesses. Despite this, I was unwaveringly convinced of our future success and the significance of our value proposition, and so I launched the business which, on the advice of a branding specialist, I named the Bryan Hattingh Group.
I was emphatic that the business be modelled on the foundation of building long-term relationships of trust and being non transaction driven. To actualize the principle of being non transaction driven; it necessitated that I walk away from any business that was not truly win-win in every respect for each party. I am happy to report that I have never failed to do so, even in the face of significant short-term revenue potential.
Much to my delight the formula worked and within two years we were accredited as the leading player in this sector — a position we held for the following 10 years up until the time of the sale of our business.
Within months of launching the business, I expedited my first headhunt assignment — my wife whom I had met when we were Analyst Programmers. She was compelled to join me in the business and together we built the business to the success that it was — a partnership which endures today.
We had the privilege of establishing the executive and talent benches of many of the multinational IT giants when they established their subsidiaries within the country. This commenced with Microsoft — which was within the first five years of our being in business — followed by SAP, DIGITAL, Silicon Graphics, SAS Institute, Lotus, Infinium, and others.
Perhaps the most humbling accolade was that Microsoft was referred to as by two significant companies neither of which we had done business with before. Microsoft review six years subsequently was that it was the best hiring initiative anywhere outside of the USA.
Having built a highly acclaimed brand and business, we were approached by several potential suitors for acquisition, just before Y2K. We were not looking to exit the business but rather to expanded internationally, so we applied a diligent process in considering the options. Despite this, the choice we made proved to be a wonderful life lesson in how not to sell a business, ultimately resulting in our exiting and launching our subsequent company Cycan, which we are still running today.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
This is an interesting and great question. Our start to the business was somewhat charmed and filled with wonderful incidents of serendipity. I would love to propose that this was due to my unwavering expectation of miracles. Throughout the years I have most certainly made a host of mistakes — some far greater than others — and at the time few, if any, of them were amusing.
Having said that, here is a story of an “almost mistake” that would have had far-reaching consequences had I made it. Microsoft was the first large global software company that opened a subsidiary in South Africa, which was before Microsoft became the household name that it did.
At the time I had coincidentally been receiving several approaches from American IT specialists wanting to come and live and work in South Africa. This was easier said than done as work permits were difficult to come by and I was needing to keep focused on our core business activities. My executive assistant informed me that Mr. Tom Gregerson from Microsoft had called wanting to speak to me. It was a particularly busy day and at first, I thought he may just be another IT specialist wanting to work in South Africa, and so my initial response was to simply ignore it.
But as I was contemplating this my gut shouted at me and I thought better of it and called him back immediately. It turned out that he wanted to invite us to act exclusively on Microsoft’s behalf in conducting all their executive and talent bench hires for the South African subsidiary. What was even more amazing was that he had been referred to us by two significant organizations with whom we had never worked before but who positioned us as the organization of choice.
The engagement not only resulted in us completing more than their first 200 hires, but I also built long and much-cherished relationships and friendships with members of the Microsoft team in various parts of the globe that we still celebrate today. Even more unexpectedly, the regional director of Africa Middle East and India who was overseeing the setup of the sub, wanted me to take up the role as the Country Manager.
To say that I was flabbergasted and flattered would be an understatement, but sanity prevailed, and I humbly and gracefully declined. I wonder where my life would be now had I taken up the offer.
In terms of the lesson learned, it reinforced a belief I already held that everyone is important and of consequence and never to underestimate who you are dealing with, and in turn who they may know, or have influence with.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Over the years I have met and engaged with several significant and accomplished people, many of whom have become lifelong friends and from whom I have learned much. However, the person who stands out unequivocally is Zi, my wife and life partner. Without a shadow of a doubt, my success would not have been what it is without her contribution and participation on so many levels. She has always supported me when I needed support and challenged me whenever necessary.
We are both strong-minded individuals who passionately and vigorously defend our perspectives without ever entering into negative conflict which has been the hallmark of our success in being able to work together so collaboratively.
We have been equal partners in everything. One significant milestone was when we negotiated the establishment of a joint venture company with IBM South Africa that carried the Bryan Hattingh brand, was bankrolled (with no interest) by IBM, and wherein we shared the profits 50–50 on a month-by-month basis. The company was profitable from day one and became a 500-person professional services practice just before the sale of our business.
Collectively and individually, we were always willing to challenge the status quo, and I have witnessed her elegantly and resolutely stand her ground on points of principle and best practice which has been a wonderful lesson for me.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your organization started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
Sir Richard Branson once eloquently stated, “True entrepreneurs never set out to simply make money. They set out to do something no one has ever done before, or to do it better than anyone else has done. Because of this they make money”.
This has always deeply resonated with me as the heartbeat of our business and life pursuit has been to touch the lives of everyone that we meet in such a way that they are sustainably enriched. Within this, the principle of being non-transaction-driven is paramount because in a people-centric business that is transaction-driven, people will become commodities and will be treated accordingly.
I have always had an abundance mindset and believe that we will sometimes sow seed in fields where we don’t reap a crop, and other times reap crops from fields where we didn’t sow seed. I unashamedly want to create wealth for myself, and all my stakeholders, but not at the compromise of people, relationships, and fundamental principles.
When the chips are down and performance indicators are low, that is when the rubber meets the road and true character emerges. Having a heart to serve rather than to sell in the face of this, helps to bring you through.
Our goal was to become the leading player in its field through the building of long-term trusted relationships built upon consistent exceeding of expectations and delivery of customer delight.
Our greater vision was to contribute to the creation of an inclusive and sustainable economy and community through the development of leaders with character, integrity, and impact.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
I think it’s important to both separate and combine uncertainty with difficulty. On reflection, even though the long boom created a false sense of security for many, times have always been uncertain and as we’ve moved into the 21st century until today the world has become increasingly complex with unprecedented levels of uncertainty and change. Not all times of uncertainty have necessarily been difficult.
When dealing with uncertainty:
Let’s start with the premise that whilst all businesses start from a creative idea, creative ideas on their own are unlikely to sustain the incubator and early-stage journey, which almost always proves to be longer and harder than was expected. It goes beyond cognitive creativity to a heartfelt and unwavering conviction in the merits of the value proposition and the pursuit of doing something meaningful.
It is this heartfelt conviction that will permeate everything that you do and most importantly how you show up. People buy from people, and the poignant expression that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” proves to be true time and time again.
A critical success factor is the issue of intentionality and its importance in how it extends across all aspects of our lives. Our business goals and ambitions should align with our greater life purpose, and if that’s not clearly defined then that should equivocally be the starting point. You can’t place your dreams and plans on exceptions and of the thousands, perhaps millions, of businesses started only a few become unicorns.
There’s nothing wrong with aspiring to be an Uber or an Airbnb, just ensure that you stop by laying the right foundations and building upon them.
When dealing with difficulty:
Hope becomes the rudder that steers our ship and the wind that fills our sails to navigate those stormy seas. Here it is important to remember that hope is not simply a feel-good emotion, it is a cognitive system that we can develop and leverage.
The 19th-century Scottish politician and author, Samuel Smiles, said it so beautifully, “Hope is the companion of power and the mother of success; for who so hopes strongly, has within them the gift of miracles”.
It is then more important than ever that we prioritize and tenaciously focus on the most important things to do.
In the times that my business was confronted by industry downturns, recessions, and corporate fickleness and at times impropriety which had the potential to, or did, reduce our revenue stream, I would apply a few key principles and practices:
Firstly, we had whiteboards on which we tracked the pending and closed deals and so obviously in challenging times, the boards could be looking bleak or even empty at a single point in time. I would daily encourage the team not to look at the boards and inspire them to change nothing other than to increase their efforts in simply doing what we did best and to engage customers with empathy, passion, energy, and conviction.
I would frequently purport that our best customers were ones we hadn’t met yet.
Without fail, those times proved to be some of our most buoyant and profitable.
What we can often forget is that in tough times organizations have to become more diligent about how they spend their money and in doing so become so much more selective of who they engage as service providers or suppliers. It is in such times that our being conspicuous by excellence brought us through and we became the supplier of choice.
Secondly, I would seek out “good news” and inspirational stories that I would share with my team daily to inspire them. These were not only business success stories but wonderful life stories of people who had overcome significant adversity against all odds, to thrive and flourish.
Thirdly, I would emphasize the imperative of positive affirmation and closely guarding what we think and speak. Learning to speak life in the most arduous of situations, played a meaningful part in the achievement of victory.
When dealing with both difficulty and uncertainty:
The principles and practices articulated above will apply. One overarching principle and practice is to keep front of mind that we must focus on those things that we can control and influence and ignore those that we can’t. We must simultaneously be the gatekeepers of our minds and guard against fear, anxiety, self-doubt, negative ramblings of the media and people we meet, and negative self-talk. Our words define us, and we become what we focus on.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I have reflected deeply on this question and can honestly say that at no point did I ever seriously consider giving up.
Did I find certain situations daunting? Without a doubt!
Did I ever feel overwhelmed? Most certainly!
Did I ever wallow in those spaces? Not a chance!
Through experiences, I had as a child and young adult, I learned the importance and value of cherishing the abundance of things that I can be thankful for and maintaining and developing an attitude of gratitude. This was particularly prevalent during COVID-19 when so many things were amplified.
I see every day as a gift and am mindful of the fact that no matter how long we live, death is a finite point and every day we have one day less to do all the things in life we want to do. Every morning, we receive 86,400 seconds in our daily account, which resets to zero by the end of the day.
I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Do you have a book in your life that impacted you and inspired you to be an effective leader? Can you share a story?
Having always had passionate curiosity I have enjoyed reading widely and across a variety of subject matter and interests. As a child, I read anything from cowboy books to serious writers such as Herman Hesse who won the 1946 Nobel Prize for literature for his novel “Das Glasperlenspiel — The Glass Bead Game” and “Steppenwolf”.
Along with this came Goethe”s “Faust “, George Orwell’s “1984”, William Golding’s “Lord of the flies”, Aldous Huxley ‘s “The Doors of Perception”, Lyall Watson’s “Supernature”, Anthony Burgess “A Clockwork Orange” and of course, JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”.
In answering the question of which book impacted and inspired me to be an effective leader I must choose “The Story of Paul J. Meyer: The Million Dollar Personal Success Plan”, which describes the life and accomplishments of a remarkable man. It was not only the substance and content of the book that was significant, but it was also the point in my life that made it so consequential.
I had just turned 30 and was enjoying great success in my role in the specialist IT recruitment practice I spoke of previously, when I found myself reflecting deeply and experiencing what I refer to as my early midlife crisis. I could not believe the 13 years since I left school had gone so quickly and that here I was at the ripe old age of 30 once again interrogating the meaning of life.
What had happened to all the dreams and bold aspirations I had had as a teenager? And if those 13 years went so quickly, I would be 43 before I knew it. It was at that point I was serendipitously introduced to the work of Paul J. Meyer and his biography. In reading the book, I was immediately compelled to embark on one of his programs called “The Dynamics of Personal Goal Setting” — a 12-week journey of daily practice and application that profoundly impacted my life, my view of self, the world, and of what is possible.
In the following six months, I felt that I had accomplished more in that time than in all my life before that.
One big discovery was that whilst many people have heard about the practice of goal setting only a small percentage of them truly understand what it means to apply it fully in one’s life, and even a smaller percentage of that number practice it.
My lesson from this is that, as with many worthwhile things in life, it requires commitment, discipline, sacrifice, time, and effort to fulfill on it. Importantly though, the rewards of doing so are phenomenal. It amplified my realization that intellectual acknowledgment of a truth does not mean that you will apply it. Knowing the seven habits of Steven Covey does not mean we will apply and embrace any one of them.
This highlights the importance of frequent reflection, honesty with oneself, and crystallization of our true intentionality, resulting in a heartfelt revelation that fuels our commitment to pursue the things that we really want for our lives.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
The most critical role of a leader during challenging times Is to inspire their people by the exemplification of attributes of true character: integrity, courage, empathy, consistency, humility, resilience, vision, and decisiveness. Whilst the choices we make and what we do as leaders are important, how we show up and how we do what we do is of greater consequence and impact.
It’s that thing called gravitas, and the inner place from whence we come. Martin Luther King junior put it so profoundly when he said, “The measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and complacency but in times of controversy and challenge”. What really defines us as leaders in those times is our willingness to lead by example in making the tough calls and being truly accountable while simultaneously maintaining an attitude of servitude.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
When the future seems so uncertain there are several possible ways to boost morale. People love storytelling and so this provides the opportunity to share stories of great leaders as well as ordinary people who have overcome incredible challenges and adversity. This may necessitate that you do some curious research on lesser-known people who have risen to greatness through adversity. Such research will in turn inspire you and fuel your energy, hope, and overall presence.
Furthermore, one of the most motivational things for people in the workplace is recognition and appreciation, so practicing the principle of finding people doing things right rather than doing things wrong and celebrating it, will inspire and encourage them.
Take time out to celebrate successes, past and present, that we so often forget to do in the busyness of day-to-day work.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
The best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers is by being unashamedly honest and sincere. If people know that they can depend on you to be consistently honest with them when the news isn’t good, they will know that they can trust and believe you in all other situations.
When doing this it is important to focus on what’s of relevance and consequence to the respective audience. Depending on the situation there may be a need to provide a backdrop of events and circumstances leading up to the situation at hand. However, what is of most importance is to describe the possible remedial action as well as the vision and solution for a meaningful way forward, without any unrealistic optimism.
Ultimately, seek to create a collaborative partnership with all the stakeholders based upon an unambiguous view of shared purpose and intention, considering the challenges and gravity of the situation at hand. Smoke and mirrors only serve to disappoint people.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
While there may be moments in history when the future seemed more unpredictable than others, one thing remains certain: life has always been inherently unpredictable. The simple truth is that whilst no one can predict the future, we can do a lot to influence and shape our immediate futures and the futures of the people who follow us.
The last line of the famous apple quote says it all “So while some may see them as crazy, we see genius, for the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones that do”. Every single accomplishment in the history of mankind was previously deemed to be impossible and yet through the application of courage, effort, planning (often in a vacuum), and application of faith whilst embracing huge amounts of risk, Greatness was achieved.
People such as Hannibal, Columbus, Sir Edmund Hillary, Marco Polo, and the Wright brothers to name just a few, demonstrated this. Sun Tzu and “The Art of War”, Alexander the Great, Hannibal Barca, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery were great conquerors, victors, and leaders in battle who emphasized the importance of careful planning, understanding your competitors or opponents, and adapting to changing circumstances. They all had to deal with a lot of unknown factors.
In short, the essentials for a leader to plan when the future is so unpredictable are clarity of vision, courage, decisiveness, and willingness to act.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Perhaps the number one principle that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times is customer centricity. Truly knowing what your customer or marketplace wants and needs and adapting to be able to optimally serve them with excellence, is key.
To do this, we should ask more than tell, listen with a sincere heart to serve rather than simply waiting to speak and be willing to recognize when we are getting it wrong and take the requisite remedial action.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
It is interesting how history repeats itself, and how we as a species have this weird obsession in preaching that prevention is better than cure yet practicing the opposite. Though many organizations make similar mistakes most often motivated out of fear of loss rather than of what is possible.
Frugality prevails and budgets are decimated in areas where it’s deemed to be non-critical such as advertising and marketing, leadership and talent development, and critical talent acquisition. Ironically, it is when every other company is cutting marketing budgets that you should invest more.
I have witnessed organizations get into iterative cycles of retrenchment which resulted in the survivors experiencing guilt, fear, and anxiety by being uncertain as to whether they’re next. Companies get caught up in a spiral of stress and battening down of the hatches, resulting in people being in a physical and psychological condition that is not conducive to creativity and innovation.
It is these times that call for inspired leadership to go against the grain and importantly focus on reassuring their people of their excellence and what is possible to achieve.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
When reflecting on what the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times, it is essential to start from the premise that turbulent times are situations or relationships in which there is a lot of change, confusion, disruption, and disorder.
They are simultaneously times of tremendous opportunity.
Highly effective leaders are first and foremost great leaders of self, which presupposes them to have an elevated level of self-awareness which they continually heighten.
Sadly, history has shown that many highly accomplished leaders become intoxicated by a combination of their power, status, success, and wealth, which often translates into arrogance and hubris.
This is accompanied by the compulsion to control, and a presence that is mutually exclusive to humility and empathy, which are much desired leadership traits in the new world of work. This is where a strong foundation of self-awareness enables leaders to combat this propensity.
This introduces the imperative for leaders to move from command control to a predominantly transformational style of leadership which is best described as the leader as coach. Within this, it is important to distinguish between a leader having a coaching style of leadership and a leader functioning as a coach. It is the former of these two that is the desired attribute.
What is becoming increasingly evident is that no matter how excellent our capabilities, competencies, and experience are as individual leaders, it is now essential to have as many voices in the room as possible, so to optimize innovation and creative disruption.
In an ideal world, the ultimate leader would be able to seamlessly shift between the various leadership styles given the context and situation at hand. However, the desire is for a predominantly transformational style of leadership.
Inspiring leaders seek to encourage by remaining purposeful and visionary. Given that our natural tendency is to operate from a fear avoidance framework, this is where we must engage our frontal cortex and interrupt the automatic fight or flight response that can occur within turbulent times.
Courage is birthed in fear, and every situation is an opportunity to transition into an opportunity for growth, success, and value transfer.
In these times, there are multi-layers of paradox that are inextricably interwoven within the various facets of business and life at large.
Consequently, a fundamental leadership trait for successfully surviving and thriving in turbulent times is the ability to navigate paradox. To do this, leaders are compelled to recognize, court, embrace and internalize paradox. This in turn results in their ability to see opportunities where others don’t, and to capitalize accordingly.
Recognizing that we now live in a complex rather than complicated world in which there are few linear solutions, leaders must develop the ability to think and operate systemically.
A common paradox is the pursuit of work-life balance. To achieve this many leaders, put in place inspired activity and program schedules across their various areas of life. In turbulent times these schedules are frequently disrupted, which creates stress and frustration with the inability to stick to their programs.
Ironically the solution lies in the pursuit of priority in a real-time way, and when successfully expedited, results in a sense of balance because of this.
This introduces a further leadership imperative which is defined as dynamic prioritization. With the prevailing turbulence creating sudden scenario changes, we can seamlessly redirect our focus on what has become the focus of highest priority without losing sight of, or momentum in, managing what was previously deemed to be the matter of highest priority.
As we move onwards and upwards as leaders of consequence, reflecting on and internalizing the following 5 leadership imperatives will prove to be invaluable:
- INCREASING OUR LEVELS OF SELF-AWARENESS
A great example of this is in the case of Indra Nooyi. As the former CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi is known for her self-awareness and emotional intelligence. She emphasized the importance of understanding her own strengths and weaknesses, often reflecting on her leadership style and its impact on her team. Nooyi actively sought feedback from her colleagues and was open about her vulnerabilities, which fostered a culture of collaboration and innovation within the company. Her self-awareness helped her lead PepsiCo through significant changes, including a focus on healthier products.
2 . ADOPTING A TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE
One notable business leader who exemplifies transformational leadership is Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft. Since taking the reins in 2014, Nadella has successfully transformed Microsoft’s culture, strategy, and overall business performance. He focused on cultural shift and moving the organization from a “know-it-all” to a “learn-it-all” culture, simultaneously providing visionary leadership with a strong emphasis on empathy, encouraging innovation, and making diversity and inclusion a priority within the business.
3 . NAVIGATING PARADOX
A leader who has truly been a prominent example of great success through navigating paradox has been Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, whose leadership was characterized by his ability to balance conflicting demands and navigating complex challenges whilst maintaining the company’s core values and vision. Some of the paradoxes he elegantly navigated were balancing profitability and social responsibility, combining global expansion with a local connection, innovating while maintaining tradition, recognizing the connection between employee satisfaction and customer experience, and authenticity versus commercialization.
4 . DYNAMIC PRIORITIZATION
One leader requiring little or no introduction is Elon Musk, who achieved success through dynamic prioritization. Musk’s leadership style is characterized by his ability to identify and prioritize critical tasks amidst rapidly changing environments, enabling him to drive innovation and achieve ambitious goals. He demonstrated this dynamic prioritization by focusing on core objectives, being adaptable to challenges, applying an iterative development approach, having a hands-on approach in resource allocation to areas that yield the highest returns, balancing multiple ventures, and his emphasis on talent and culture understanding that a strong team is crucial for executing on an ambitious vision.
5 . BEING LIVING EXAMPLES OF CHOOSING COURAGE, HUMILITY AND EMPATHY
In addition to examples such as Mandela, Howard Schultz, Jacinda Ardern (The former Prime Minister of New Zealand), and Oprah Winfrey, a person who stands out is Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors. She demonstrated courage in leading the company through significant transformations, including a strong focus on electric vehicles and sustainability. She has been open about the challenges the automotive industry faces and has prioritized transparency in her leadership. Barra’s humility shines through her approach to leadership where she actively seeks input from her team and values collaboration, fostering an inclusive environment that encourages diverse perspectives.
So as aspirational leaders seeking to be the best we can be and truly contribute to leaving a rich legacy and a better planet for our grandchildren, we are called to exemplify the principle of believing that we are always more than what we have become and that our best is always yet to come.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is:
As we sow a thought, we reap an action.
As we sow an action, we reap a habit.
As we sow a habit, we reap a character.
As we sow a character, we reap a destiny.
I’ve always been conscious of how we either speak life or death and have therefore been highly selective in what I say and the intention behind it. As I moved through my late teens into early adulthood, I became increasingly conscious of the power and science of our mind, and how we are called to be the gatekeepers of our thoughts.
In later years I discovered how important a sense of purposefulness is to neurological health and how our thinking and emotions impact our chemistry and immune system. We become and are what we think, say, and focus on. Consequently, I have lived a truly rich life in which I live out the cliches of seeing opportunities rather than challenges, having an attitude of gratitude, and living in and through time.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Our readers can follow my work through several channels. Connect with us on LinkedIn via Cycan’s page or my personal profile, Bryan Hattingh. Feel free to reach out directly via email at [email protected] or by phone at +27 83 252 8912. You can also visit our website at www.cycan.co.za for updates and insights. Additionally, keep an eye out for my columns in the Daily Maverick and other articles that will be published soon.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Bryan Hattingh Of Cycan On Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.