Leadership. It isn’t a right — it’s a gift.

Leadership; it’s one of the most overused yet least understood words in business. And I’ve seen first-hand how misunderstanding it can hold companies back.

In my career — from start-ups and scale-ups to corporates — I’ve noticed something: leadership is too often just linked to a job title: An assumption that because one has the title, they must be a leader.

But a title doesn’t make you a leader. In fact, that assumption misses the true essence and power of leadership.

I’ve worked for and alongside some phenomenal leaders. They shared a common set of skills and habits that inspired, motivated, and delivered results. I’ve also experienced the opposite — leaders in title only — and I could probably write a book about the damage that caused.

And the damage is real.

Research shows poor leadership is one of the fastest ways to drain a business:

• Productivity losses from disengaged employees cost companies an estimated 18% of annual salary per disengaged employee (Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2023).

• High staff turnover — often driven by poor management — can cost 1.5–2x an employee’s annual salary to replace (Gallup & SHRM data).

• Missed growth opportunities happen when teams lack vision, alignment, and trust.

Companies with strong leadership cultures achieve 2–3x higher revenue growth than those with weak leadership (McKinsey & Company, Performance Through People study).

The truth is, leadership isn’t something you automatically earn with a promotion. It’s a craft you work on every single day. The very best C-level leaders I’ve known understand this. They recognise the responsibility — the gift — they’ve been given, and they aim to be the very best version of themselves.

And here’s the harder truth: none of us want to believe our leadership isn’t good enough. But leadership requires humility. We must constantly review what we do, seek feedback, and be open to change — even if it’s uncomfortable. That’s how we grow as leaders, and how our teams grow with us.

The Core Skills of Great Leadership

When I boil leadership down, these seven skills are non-negotiable, all of these skills allow the leader to influence their environment, to shape and mold the direction and delivery of the business to influence teams and individuals to outperform, deliver and grow.

1. Vision and Perspective – seeing the bigger picture and where the team needs to go.

2. Integrity and Trustworthiness – doing the right thing, even when no one’s watching.

3. Communication Skills – being clear, open, and consistent.

4. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy – understanding people, not just processes.

5. Strategic Thinking and Decision Making – making choices that serve both the short and long term.

6. Empowerment and Development – building people’s confidence, skills, and independence.

7. Relationship Building and Collaboration – fostering trust and cooperation across the board.

Great leaders actively review themselves against these skills — through self-reflection and honest feedback — and constantly look for ways to improve.

My Leadership Style: ‘what is it?’ (I can hear you say)

Not long ago, an HR Director asked me what my preferred leadership model was.

It stopped me in my tracks — not because I couldn’t answer, but because it had been a long time since anyone had asked.

My answer was simple: I’m a servant leader at heart, but I apply situational leadership when the task demands it.

What does that mean? Quite simply, I will always focus on empowering those around me, supporting colleagues so we reach our goals together, and valuing the collective achievement above individual glory (though individual excellence should always be recognised). A strong, growing team creates strong, growing individuals — and the result is an ethical, inclusive environment where people will be motivated, feel part of something bigger than them that they are actively contributing to, and they will thrive as individuals within that collective.

‘Situational Leadership’- one of my personal go-to favourites and something I believe every leader should have within their armory - comes into play when flexibility is needed: the way you lead or communicate must adapt to an individual’s needs or a specific challenge. Balancing that shared and collective drive with the understanding of each individual within the collective is so important. This balance is where I believe great leadership lives.

The Bottom Line — and the Opportunity

Leadership isn’t granted by a job title — it’s earned, refined, and nurtured.

When leadership is poor, the costs are high — in lost revenue, stalled growth, and the expensive churn of your best people.

When leadership is great, the returns are exponential.

That’s why I love to work with businesses to develop leaders who drive performance, culture, and sustainable growth. Through one-to-one mentoring, leadership workshops, and targeted development programs, I help leaders at every level sharpen their skills and unlock their full potential.

And I’m not alone in this. TSP - the business and colleagues I’m now working with - provides proven leadership-specific coaching, mentoring, workshops, and training frameworks that turn insight into action, and action into measurable results.

If your business wants leaders who inspire, retain, and deliver — let’s talk. The best time to invest in leadership was yesterday. The next best time is now.

Owen Clements

With over 20 years of experience building and leading high-performing sales teams, I help businesses unlock revenue, scale sustainably, and fix what's broken in their commercial engine.

I’ve worked with start-ups, scale-ups, and established businesses across B2B and B2C. What they all had in common? Ambition, pressure, and a need to make their sales efforts more efficient, more effective, and more profitable