Q: “Leadership is about the thrill of competition and the quest for success.” Can you make a comment on this as a business leader?
Excerpts from an interview with
Jagath Pathirane Director/ CEO of Expolanka Freight (Pvt) Ltd., Sri Lanka, published in the BMD recently.
I believe Leadership is about motivation, motivating people to exceed their capabilities and deliver outstanding results. If we as leaders are able to continuously motivate our staff we would be able to achieve success as a business.
As a business leader I have personally evolved and come of age only to compete with my own self. I have the quest to do what I do better each day. I keep raising the bar for my own self and firmly believe that whatever I do should be done extremely well and it will be contagious among the team. I see a flaw in everything that I have passed thus far which I try hard to improve. I believe success is only a by product or a result of all that.
Q: What are the important traits every business leader should have in your opinion?
That would depend from leader to leader and the organization circumstance. Each person will have his own style, however the most successful leaders have a strong work ethic, clear mindedness, focus and are great motivators and inspirers who are able to communicate his/her goals
Discipline of all kind! I am from the old school. Communication – a leader should communicate the goals, desires direct and effectively.
Q: What is the best advise you have ever received?
“If you desire to do it, do it well, otherwise get out! and “take from others and make it yours and share.” Meaning add value to what you learn from others and make it yours and pass on to others. To draw a parallel in our logistics terms “VAS” , Value Added Services.
Q: What is the best advice you can offer to young executives?
Keep focus, pay attention, constantly improve.
Have patience, Don’t expect results to come before you start. Results will follow after you deploy and compete with your own self and not others.