How to find the right leader

All too often known underperformers are recycled or ‘friends’ are selected to lead boards, councils and companies

- Helen Grange

There is no shortage of literature on the qualities of a good leader. Yet, in the public and private sectors, they are scarce enough to wonder why there’s a deficit and whether we might be missing something.

The ideals of good leadership are encapsulated by the King IV Code on Corporate Governance’s “ICRAFT” principles — independence, competence, responsibility, accountability, fairness and transparency — but identifying and appointing people with these attributes is an altogether more complex business, and one that is loaded with the inescapable reality that even the best among us are only human after all.

One of the worst habits of South African boards, committees and councils is filling senior positions with “recycled underperformers”, according to Tuesday Consulting, an executive search and advisory firm.

“Driving this is a deep fear of change. Many institutions, especially those under pressure, make decisions based on familiarity. They tend to reach for individuals within their networks or people they've worked with before, not necessarily because they’re the best fit, but they feel like the safest choice, reputationally or relationally. And we've got to challenge that cycle,” Tsholofelo Nketane of Tuesday Consulting told Jeremy Maggs on Hot102.7fm radio earlier this month.

The consequence of this revolving-door phenomenon is poor governance, which includes recycling corrupt actors. This entrenches power, reduces independence, weakens accountability and shuts out diversity, making governance ineffective and ethically questionable, as the King IV Code notes.