“It is very difficult to change behaviors in the short term, this is a matter that is achieved over years. The way to achieve change is for people to feel that what they do differently contributes to the strategy and success of the organization, repeating the behaviors and achieving success through that feeling and repetition. We have already started to drive change with our key leaders under the premise that we have to be aligned, to do things differently in a way that differentiates in the market and helps us compete better and be more integrated with our ecosystem.”

Santiago Solanas – CEO, Board Member & Investor Spain – Grupo Primavera

It is often said that things are not said, they are done, because when they are done, they say it themselves. In this perspective, 55% of the participants consider it necessary to consider a change in the organization’s leadership team, consistent with the objectives of the business model transformation, experience tells us that success cannot be expected in this process if there is not previously a convinced and aligned top management that behaves in a manner consistent with the desired new cultural values.

We asked the project participants about the aspects of leadership that they think should be strengthened as a priority, asking a double question: we asked both about the priorities in their industry/market, and about those that they consider most urgent in their own organizations. The results do not differ much from each other, which shows that regardless of the sector and organizational model of each company, all companies are in the same process of transforming their leadership, and with very similar goals:

Leadership Traits to Facilitate Transformation

By Order of Priority

“Progress can only be made when you think big and look far ahead.” According to this statement the most outstanding trait to drive transformation is STRATEGIC VISION, which together with FLEXIBILITY and ADAPTABILITY and the ability to connect and generate an ATMOSPHERE OF TRUST with people, form a powerful and coherent core of leadership competencies to facilitate transformation:

• Strategic vision, flexibility and adaptability to change;

• Connection and generation of an atmosphere of trust with people that drives creativity and innovation, facilitating work with autonomy and greater agility, behaviors consistent with what talent wants to commit to today.

It is often said that people don’t leave companies, they leave their bosses. At Kingsley Gate, we considered it appropriate to explore this commonly accepted assumption and found that 52% consider the “boss factor” of equal importance to brand value, career opportunities, or company size, while 30% attach greater importance to this factor when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. It is therefore crucial in any recruitment to analyze the candidate’s fit with the company and its culture, but also with the expectations of the person who will be his or her boss. Our ATHENA methodology allows us to assess the different gaps between the candidate and the company culture, with the expectations of his boss, and with the dynamics between his future “collaterals”.

What differences do you see per region in terms of leadership?

What differences do you see in the industry in terms of leadership?

As you can see, there are no major differences between the different sectors, suggesting that there is a new profile of “approved” leader who would perform successfully in different areas of the economy, so that the more traditional ways of choosing candidates based on “industry knowledge” are giving way to new approaches that are more oriented towards finding leaders with the right mindset and behaviors to manage the talent in their organizations.