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Homework answers / question archive / case inciDent 2 Leadership TraitsResearchers have been interested in leadership traits for over a century
over a century. Hundreds of studies have been conducted,
resulting in a basic consensus on leadership traits or characteristics
that separate leaders from non-leaders. Today,
among the key traits we often attribute to leaders, determination
is one that can be seen in many who are influential
and successful.
The 19th century German philosopher Frederick
Nietzsche's maxim "That which does not kill us, makes
us stronger" can be applied to leaders of organizations
today. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill offered
slightly different advice to the students in his commencement
speech at the Harrow School on October 29, 1941,
when he said, "Never give in, never, never, never, never—
in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in
except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never
yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming
might of the enemy." Antonio Horta-Osorio, the
Portuguese banker who became CEO of Santander UK
in 2006 and assumed the helm of Lloyds Banking Group
in March, 2011, demonstrates the kind of attitude that
Churchill's speech describes. Horta-Osorio encountered
serious personal problems that led the board to
grant him a sabbatical from his leadership position at
the bank. An avid tennis player, a scuba diver who routinely
encountered sharks, and a 12-hour-a-day banker,
Horta-Osorio had been in his position at Lloyds for just
eight months when he was granted a medical leave of absence
to recover from insomnia and exhaustion, which
were symptoms of stress. Confidential sources speculated
that he was unable to meet the demands of the
position—turning around a bank in trouble—and his
inexperience in leading a large complex bank brought
about his medical problems. Some financial pundits
believed that he would never recover sufficiently to resume
his leadership at the bank. However, on January 9,
2012, some two months later, Horta-Osorio proved them
wrong. By his account, during his recovery process, he
reflected on the experience and learned that all people
are human with strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore,
since his return to the bank, he has managed to
strengthen the bank's position in the industry showing
as a top performer among major British banks.
Horta-Osorio's persistence, in combination with
other leadership traits, enabled him to succeed where
non-leaders may not have. After getting a "reality check"
on his personal and mental health, he persevered, developed
his strategy, remained focused and spirited, and
called on others for support, rather than succumb to the
negativism of naysayers.
Questions
Q1: What leadership traits does Antonio Hotra-Osorio
demonstrate as a result of his ability to resume his
role at Lloyds Bank after such a personal issue?
Q2: Are there other examples of leaders who have
been able to overcome such adversity? Who are
they? Did they approach the problem as Hotra-
Osorio did?
Q3: To what degree is it possible to develop leadership
traits? Are they innate? What are some ways one
can develop persistence?
