Business development
Surveyors can be successful leaders if they adapt quickly to changing circumstances, advises Andrew Warren
There is no greater time than the present for surveyors to demonstrate innovative leadership, successful leaders being those who perform well in both good and bad climates. But what is it about a great leader’s strategy that overcomes all odds, and how can senior surveyors mirror such an approach?
The mind of an innovative leader is an interesting one. Acutely aware of changing circumstances, he or she is quick to adapt. Innovative leaders are particularly good at stimulating their followers to try and identify new and improved products and services for clients, and engage differently with key stakeholders in their sector.
They have a focus on cost, but also investment. Cost-cutting is not always enough to help organisations ride out a downturn. Businesses which maintain a degree of investment during difficult times tend to emerge from the storm better than others. Innovative leaders are always looking for ways to develop their organisation’s market profile. Their businesses continue to assess the skills of their people and re-examine how they can better engage with their clients. Their decision making is quick and, as a result, changes are made fairly speedily, enabling them to adapt well to evolving market conditions.
Another facet of the innovative leader’s mind is their focus. They often look beyond their own industry and areas of expertise to glean ideas from other sectors. They like to learn from other great leaders and successful businesses.
Leading surveyors
I have been struck by the ability of a number of surveyors I have worked with to go way beyond their technical excellence and position themselves as commercial advisers to key clients. They become a key cog or component in the array of those providing professional services. Such surveyors are often those who can pull things together with the strength of their networks alone.
In uncertain times, we all seek knowledge and guidance. We turn to those who have a handle on what is happening and what may happen in the future. Those surveyors with a broad commercial understanding, who readily apply their technical knowledge to a client’s specific situation, deliver valuable insight to their clients.
Ideas do not have to be totally new and original, just relevant. For example, what did you see in the last downturn? How did you help clients then? What did others do to successfully come through? What are the likely trends and issues for the next 24 to 36 months? What specific issues can you advise on?
Engaging with clients
In terms of the way you work with clients it is fundamental to demonstrate fresh thinking in such turbulent times in order to stand out from the crowd. Those innovative leaders in the sector will have their eye on what others are doing in other professions too, and will apply that to help clients. Take a leaf out of their books and do the same.
For surveyors working in larger organisations, it might be harder to bundle products and services to meet current and future client needs, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The trick is to speed up any decision making. Some professional services firms have brought together specialist teams to do just that. These combine different disciplines and are given the authority, time and resources to find new ways of packaging different products and services that respond directly to clients’ changing situations.
Clearly all clients are different so consider the different perspectives you can learn from and take to your client discussions. Those surveyors who have a clear understanding of emerging trends, sector knowledge and an experience of dealing with a range of other organisations are more highly sought after by clients. These professionals take ideas to clients and engage with them on a more forward-looking strategic agenda, developing and testing ideas with many contributors from across traditional organisational ‘boundaries’.
In doing so, they position themselves as highly proactive and having relevance in a broader industry context, rather than a more narrow technical specialism. What can you do differently to encourage such input in conversations with colleagues, round table discussions or other initiatives?
Internal development
Do not forget the importance of innovative leadership to the people within your firm. What more can you do to demonstrate innovative leadership? What can you do to ensure that your teams are as effective and client focused as they can be? What can you do to ensure that ideas are given the chance to develop and are taken to clients for co-development?
Reframing is a common approach in idea generation. This often involves seeing problems as opportunities. The more progressive firms stretch their thinking to envisage what they could do with unlimited resources, and then pull that vision back to what is feasible.
The challenge for many firms is being organised and getting ideas to market, testing them with clients and/or fellow professionals. A key trait of an effective, innovative leader is listening to feedback from others and allowing a collaborative approach to developing new ideas. Many innovative leaders look to work with others who will challenge them and develop original ideas, approaches and solutions.
Making your approach better than that of your competitors or fellow professionals comes down to the way you engage with your clients and how you use your knowledge effectively. As a starting point, ask yourself these three questions:
• What more can I do to develop and share points of view?
• How can I provide thoughts and insights?
• How can I assist clients over and above the basic product or service I provide?
A lot of the innovative leadership attributes
I’ve described ultimately come down to attitude and a willingness to take some risks, lead by example, broaden discussions and networks. Despite the current conditions, ensure you demonstrate enthusiasm, confidence and patience and have a focus on the long term as well as the here and now.
Andrew Warren is a leadership expert at The Results Consultancy
Further information
www.winningbusiness.net
www.rics.org
