INTHEBLACK September 2021 - Magazine - Page 14
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RESPONSIBILITY IN
THE DIGITAL AGE
Rob Pyne
Erin Devlin
Ivri Verbin
Many books have been written on
leadership, and many on teams, but very
few on leadership teams. Rob Pyne, a
psychologist who works in the field of
C-suite level training, seeks to fill this gap,
drawing on new behavioural research
and his own experiences. Pyne believes
that most senior teams are underutilised,
missing some of the available talents and
focusing on management rather than
strategic thinking.
Making a team more than the sum of
its parts requires three main elements:
emotional intelligence, creative-analytical
intelligence and practical intelligence.
The weight given to each can vary,
depending on whether the team is new
or established, but all three are needed to
some degree. Pyne unpacks each of them,
providing assessment tools and diagrams.
He advises regular “pit stops” to review
the performance of the team, noting
that the role of the CEO is to ensure that
the process stays on track. The team
must remain focused on the goals, and
there should be some space away from
the daily issues to think deeply about
problems, with the opportunity to learn
from mistakes and achievements. None
of this is easy, but an effective leadership
team means the difference between a
good company and a great one.
Erin Devlin is a recruitment specialist
with a string of qualifications and
awards, so she is well placed to give
guidance on finding and getting the
right job. This book covers a great deal
of ground, offering advice for graduates
seeking their first job through to
experienced managers looking to move
up or on. Devlin notes that career
changes are quite common – she began
as a ballet dancer – so a key asset is
being able to demonstrate transferable
skills as well as a willingness to learn.
The essential first step is to
understand what sort of job you want,
and Devlin provides self-diagnostic
tests to establish values and goals.
She has tips for writing CVs and
cover letters, and offers a variety of
templates to follow. She also examines
interview skills, including the particular
challenges around virtual interviews,
and addresses the necessity of building
a professional online profile. Her
emphasis is on practical advice, and she
includes some interesting anecdotes to
illustrate her points.
All this advice adds up to a useful,
well-organised package. There is also
an appendix of relevant websites,
sources and references for further
reading.
Everyone agrees that responsible, ethical
and sustainable behaviour from corporates
is highly desirable, but for many company
leaders, getting there is a much harder
proposition. Ivri Verbin, CEO of consulting
firm Good Vision, part of the Grant Thornton
group, provides a useful roadmap.
Verbin writes from extensive experience
and links his points to the UN Sustainable
Development Goals framework, as well as
accounting and environmental standards. He
believes that corporate responsibility is essential
in the era of digital-driven transparency and
stakeholder activism, and will only grow in
importance in the post-pandemic world.
Advice in the book ranges from creating
policies on resource use to reducing carbon
emissions. Engaging employees is crucial, not
just with relevant, ongoing training, but with
good examples from the top. Collaboration
with external stakeholders is also valuable,
especially when addressing larger social
causes such as alleviating poverty.
Verbin has worked at senior political levels
– he counts former Israeli prime minister
Shimon Peres as a mentor – and he is keenly
aware of the need to balance values with
pragmatism. He includes case studies drawn
from Good Vision’s client list to indicate how
much is possible, so long as company leaders
are willing to move outside their comfort zone
and embrace positive change.
Publish Central
14 ITB September 2021
Major Street
Taylor & Francis