Financial Times

Tips for emerging business leaders
Are business leaders born or made? They are fashioned by the circumstances in which they find themselves in. These were the thoughts of Ken Balendra, Chairman Brandix Lanka and Ceylon Tobacco Ltd, when he addressed members of The Sunday Times Business Club last week.

Speaking on leadership issues and how he acquired leadership qualities, Balendra – chairman of John Keells Holdings (JKH) for more than 10 years until his retirement in 2000 - said his former superiors had encouraged him and given him a considerable amount of autonomy to execute things his way. “I was at the right place at the right time and gleaned a lot of leadership qualities through my superiors,” he said, urging the young executives to do the same, so that leaders can guide them.

Presenting a long list of traits he had noted down 20 years ago, on what a ‘perfect junior executive” at JKH should have, he said the list has stood him in good stead. “I have not updated it and it is utopian,” he warned.

Being a high quality performer and results oriented while exceeding goals and objectives rated high on the list. “He or she should show improvement in whatever they do, be quick, active and enthusiastic and make their presence felt,” Balendra said adding that the perfect executive knows the job description, is bottom-line oriented and moves into any situation requiring leadership speedily and gets it done. “The perfect JKH executive is proud to be in the company and shows it, is persistent, does not give up easily or at all, has high energy levels, physically fit and is of good health,” he said.

He outlined the perfect executive to have no complexes, without any grudges, always punctual or at times early, impartial, always looked up to by subordinates and as an equal by friends. “The perfect JKH executive is frank, does not talk to please people, an excellent communicator, smiles often, always friendly, does not unnecessarily antagonise people, generally kind, but tough if the need arises,” he said.

Explaining how important it is to ‘simplify’ today’s businesses, he said ‘most businesses are not rocket sciences, they are very simple’, adding that the perfect executive also believes in simplifying the businesses.

Balendra illustrated the perfect JKH executive to be well organised, ‘never have too much to do’ and have good delegating skills. “In all my 35 years of married life, I’ve never written a personal cheque, because I delegated it to my wife,” he said, adding that he could not have run so many companies if he had not resorted to delegating.

Being cost conscious, not taking hasty decisions, constantly acquiring new skills, a good team member, people developer, motivator and trainer were also in Balendra’s list. “The perfect JKH executive does not yawn at meetings, takes correction and advice from superiors and subordinates in the correct spirit, is an accepted expert in his line of business, is house proud – keeps a good home and an office, recognises the group’s (JKH’s) long term aims and social responsibility,” he said. Balendra’s vision of a perfect JKH executive is that of a person with unquestionable integrity, financially stable, not involved in any scandals, patient, having individual as well as political opinions, but recognising that the group is apolitical.

Responding to the participants at a lively discussion following the presentation, he said that English was a must for the upward mobility of a person. “The most brilliant people languishing without jobs as well as the corporate sector should take note of this,” he said. The event was hosted by the Trans Asia Hotel with Lion Brewery as a co-sponsor.

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