Opinion: Other leaders have lots to learn from John Key

Business leaders can learn a lot from John Key's leadership style. PHOTO/FILE

Wow, what a week we've had in New Zealand politics. Like everyone else, I did not see John Key's resignation coming and in fact felt very comfortable, even somewhat smug, about our stable political environment, when compared to the political landscape in Britain i.e. Brexit and the shock win in the US Presidential election of Donald Trump.

Now that we have had time to adjust to this resignation, what can we, business leaders, learn from Key's leadership style?

Regardless of your political alignment, Key achieved an enviable tenure in arguably one of the highest profiled "CE" roles in New Zealand crossing national and international boundaries. In my mind, there are several qualities that Key articulated in his leadership including:

Vision - he had a clear vision of what he wanted for New Zealand - which was a better New Zealand which he articulated passionately and relentlessly. There is much debate and derision about "his" vision for New Zealand, but regardless of your viewpoint, he developed and stood steadfast to his vision for a better New Zealand.

Courage - he had the courage to make decisions, with some being very unpopular, but despite this he made these decisions in line with this vision and conviction.

Focus - he kept his team focused on achieving important results and focused on strengths, in himself and in others, which led to achievement of results. Under his leadership we have seen a shift in focus for the public service sector on accountability for results and outcomes. Again, there will be derision about his focus, but in terms of leadership qualities, focus is an important competency that all leaders require.

Likeability - his greatest legacy will be his popularity which he garnered through his down-to-earth ethos, despite his wealth, and came across as the boy who came good through the No.8 wire mind-set. With this demeanour, he was able to capture the hearts and minds of everyday Kiwis, regardless of their political alignment.

Internal Change Management - a leader's greatest asset is their staff. What was enviable about Key was how he seamlessly demoted MPs either from caucus or to the back bench in a manner that allowed the impacted MPs to exit with grace, dignity and little fuss. As leaders, we should all strive to achieve this level of respect for our staff when change management needs to occur.

Whatever your political alignment is, I believe there are valuable learnings that we business leaders can and should reflect upon. Now seems a great time to create the space to reflect on your leadership style.

- Allison Lawton is the interim chief executive of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.