Simon Slater

What does leadership mean to you?

In its simplest form, leadership means achieving objectives through the individual and collective efforts of others. It means creating an environment in which people are clear about where the business is headed and how they can best contribute. People derive much of their sense of professional fulfilment by knowing that their efforts not only matter, but also have a positive impact on the ongoing success of the organisation. Effective leadership provides the framework in which people are encouraged to have ideas that improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the business.

One of the other things I have learned is that CEOs must also be Chief Momentum Officers. Momentum is extremely important to one’s employees (and future hires for that matter). Maintaining a healthy momentum needs to be driven by the CEO.

What do you see as the key attributes of great leadership?

Vision - a crystal clear sense of direction.

Empathy - excellent listening skills to enhance one’s understanding of the views and needs of different stakeholders.

Courage - leadership means having to make decisions, sometimes quickly. People want to work with someone who is decisive.

Resilience - life is becoming increasingly complex for CEOs and the road ahead is full of unpredictable hazards. The ability to remain calm is vital.

Adaptability - see above: for complex read change.

The most important of these five attributes? Empathy.

What do you find most rewarding about leading?

Helping my colleagues to achieve our shared objectives is of course rewarding. But the most rewarding aspect of leadership for me is to see individual people and teams flourish in a way they never thought possible. This requires having more belief in them than they have in themselves and creating the environment in which they can succeed over time.

What have been your greatest leadership challenges and how have you overcome them?

There have been many leadership challenges along the way, but the most difficult of them occurred during a two-year period in which I was a member of the leadership team charged with the planning and execution of a 7-way UK law firm merger. The result in the year 2000? Eversheds LLP, the UK’s first national legal business.

I took the lead on the harmonising all aspects of marketing, brand and business development. The main challenge for me was to navigate the politics inevitable in such an ambitious merger. My ability to listen to and empathise with colleagues across the UK, whilst maintaining a laser focus on the goal and encouraging those colleagues to share the same aspiration, allowed me to cut through the noise of unnecessary politics and get things done.

How have you enriched your own leadership experience?

Mentors have been important to me in my career. Some of these didn't even know they were my mentors! I have also mentored others along the way and this is always a rich source for enhancing one’s understanding of leadership. As a marketing professional, I also made a point of mastering the financial fundamentals of the business and the increasing importance of human resource management. In this way, I gained a much deeper and more integrated view of the ‘holy trinity’: clients, cash, and colleagues.

How has your view of leadership changed over time?

That’s easy. I was never, by nature, a ‘command-and-control’ style leader. I was always more of a facilitator. My view hasn’t changed! The world has gradually aligned with my perspective and the belief that the world’s most successful organisations are led by extrovert, command-and-control CEOs is now not just out-moded, but also proven not to be true. Substance is now more important than style.

What advice would you give to emerging leaders?

Back yourself.

Adhere to my five leadership attributes (above) and underpin them with two others: optimism and humility. Both are absolutely vital.

Whatever happens, maintain some perspective and keep calm.

Keep fit, physically and mentally.

Make time for people. And listen.

Motivate people with your enthusiasm and don’t take yourself too seriously, even if the weight of the world sometimes appears to be on your shoulders.

Simon Slater - Non-Executive Chair, Thackray Williams LLP

Simon has a small portfolio of non-executive directorship and board advisory roles. For 35 years he has worked with the boards of some of the most successful professional service firms, most of them legal practices. Whilst the majority of these organisations have been LLPs, he has also headed up the marketing, communications, and investor relations function of a professional service PLC. During his career, Simon has built and sold an advisory business before ultimately being appointed to lead two successive law firms as CEO.

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