The traits and culture that help execs to thrive

In this month’s article I'm focusing on a common theme across The INside Leadership View so far - the traits and culture that helps executive to thrive. 

I've recapped key insights and tips below from previous blogs that touch on this theme: from the traits required when execs step-up to the top table, to the link between empathy and performance, to tackling boardroom conflict. It's all here.

1)       ‘Don’t underestimate the leap required when you arrive at the boardroom table,’ I wrote in September 2023 reflecting on the huge emphasis on personality traits when hiring for the C-Suite, often including: the ability to influence, having good commerciality and being able to challenge.

Dame Inga Beale (the first female CIO of Lloyds of London), who’d recently spoken at our one of our InX Summits, suggested that executives find ‘clubs’ difficult to challenge.  It’s important to bring new voices to a leadership team and empower their ability to transform and innovate.

Likability was a trait that had also risen in importance, particularly post-pandemic where being human, authentic and empathetic are valued more than ever.

2)       In October Graeme Paxton, MD of The IN Group’s talent advisory consultancy Caraffi and I turned out attention to what candidates are looking for when considering employees in our discussion about the growing importance of purpose alignment between employee and employer. 

Graeme believes that following a few years of turmoil, it’s about feeling secure as well as happy.  He went on to outline a two-step plan to identify a company’s purpose and authentically promote this as a value proposition to employees, investors and customers.  He states:

“Purpose and values aren’t authentic if they are just words on a wall or listed in a role specification.  They are things that should be felt because it’s intrinsic to a company – it’s woven into its fabric.”

3)       In January I asked Destination Equality – Are we nearly there yet?  and explored the journey of women in business, spurred on from conversations with the C-Suite and some recent reading.  We’ve come a long way but challenges do remain including lingering biases and stereotypes, assumptions made about women’s approach to their careers and a lack of role models which perpetuates the ‘glass ceiling’ image.

4)       In Empathy and performance – the crucial link February I asked whether empathy was just a nice to have 'soft skill', or a crucial trait that can drive business performance?  Susan J. Schmitt Winchester would certainly argue that it’s a crucial and highly sought after leadership trait with a clear link to performance. Susan said:

“Self-awareness and self-regulation are the key.  People perform best when they are free from anxiousness and stress, and believe they matter and are respected and heard.”

As this was part of a Private Equity newsletter, I asked Fred Soneya and Andrew

5)       Most recently, in The Art of Boardroom (Dis)harmony I explored common reasons why conflict in the boardroom occurs, shared advice on how to tackle it.  Plus, in response to Rupal Patel’s keynote at another of our InX summits, I suggested that disharmony can be a force for positive change and innovation.  

You can more information about Rupal’s career from CIA to CEO and our summit here.

When hiring execs boards often prioritise the personality traits required to thrive in their business above the skills and experience required. In return, when considering a move candidates interrogate organisational culture to ensure there's alignment. Hopefully this wrap-up hammers home those points. 

There will be a brand new article next month.  In the meantime, stay up to date by following @InX, the InX Connect newsletter and @TheINGroup, and don’t hesitate to contact me or one of our team if you need to hire talent or deliver transformation to accelerate your business.  We’d love to help.