It is important for there to be strong leadership in a crisis. When a leader is strong and calm it can help others find strength and solutions to problems that can seem very overwhelming at the time. This principle applies to any situation where leadership is required such as politics and business. Here are a few leaders that have proven that strong leadership is required for success.
Taha and Najib Mikati
Taha and his brother Najib founded the group Investcom that then merged with MTN to become one of the largest telecommunications groups in the world. Building on their success over the years has led to Taha Mikati’s net worth rising to $3.4 billion. In 2005 Investcom was publicly listed on the London and Dubai stock exchange. At the time Najib was serving as a strong leader for Lebanon as the Prime Minister of an interim government. In 2007 Taha and Najib saw there was need to diversify the investment portfolio of Investcom by forming the holding company M1 Group. This was a highly successful business move that has led to the group developing a portfolio with investments in aviation, retail, fashion, industry, and real estate. Najib also served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon a second time from 2011-2013. This shows that no matter how busy a leader is, there are times when they need to take the extra step to get their people through a crisis. M1 Group is working to help countries compete in the global marketplace and grow their economies.
Lee Iaocca
When the Chrysler automobile company was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1979 Lee approached the United States government for a loan guarantee. This helped give Chrysler what they needed to pull out of bankruptcy. Lee’s negotiations required that Chrysler cut back on costs and focus their production. This collaboration led to the release of the popular Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant. In 1987 Chrysler acquired AMC and then Jeep, further boosting their profits. Lee’s leadership led to his serving as president of Chrysler until 1992. He was famous for encouraging people to have pride in his company and the vehicles they produced. Lee even appeared in car commercials so that consumers could relate better to the company. When a leader demonstrates that they truly believe in their cause it sends a very powerful message to others.
Taking Charge
Being a strong leader is often difficult. It is impossible to do everything to the satisfaction of everyone. Decisions sometimes have to made that are for the greater good. Change can be difficult to implement thus there can be rocky times when working towards a good end result. A strong leader recognizes this and stays calm and collected when coming up with innovative solutions. It is also important to never forget to be a good listener when those you are in charge of have a problem. Leaders are always willing to go the extra mile to do what is best.