Kevin Gaskell : “The best leaders are humble, honest and give power away”

Kevin Gaskell was in Mauritius for a master class organised by Whitefield Business School. News on Sunday met this amazing businessman and speaker who shared his best tips on leadership, overcoming challenges and becoming a world class organisation.

You have been the CEO of three iconic car companies – BMW, Porsche and Lamborghini. What is the secret for your success?
The secret of my success has nothing to do with the motor industry. I grew up in this industry but since I left, I have built 14 companies. I used a process and recently, I wrote my book to talk on this whole process. It is about ‘Commit is what you want to build, extraordinary you want to achieve, Connect is what is the plan and Create deals with creating magic and recognizing people. My success is not mine alone. It is the success of my team. All I do is try to create a culture for everybody in the organization to be part of an extraordinary team. I believe in an open culture where I invite people to talk about their ideas and where they can make a difference. The culture is to catch people in and not out. If something is wrong, we do not blame the person. In fact we learn from them. People are incredible and I give them the opportunity to contribute.

Can your success strategies be adopted by small companies like those in Mauritius?
Sure. My smallest business employs four people and my biggest business has over 400 employees. I use exactly the same approach in both of them. Size does not matter. Even in Mauritius we can use the same approach. My business story and approach is completely consistent. It does matter in which sector you are operating. My lowest tech business is gardening  and the most sophisticated one is fintech where we handle the national payment platform for Namibia. The approach is the same. Business is business.

You published ‘Inspired Leadership’ in September this year. Is this a new emerging concept in leadership?
It is all about my kind of leadership and how I approach it. The book comprises 25 years of my experience in 250 pages. I designed it as a book I could give to somebody. I thought about my children who might want to open their own business. This book gives you a structure, follow it and use it in the way it suits your business. I have also included some of my mistakes and anecdotes. Running a business is simple but not easy. It does not matter whether it is B to B, it is age to age and human to human.

What are your views on the famous debate ‘Are leaders born or made’?
People are born with communication skills, are very approachable and smart. Leadership can be taught and it is a process. It is about teaching people how to be humble. You don’t know everything, you are taught to listen and build a company. There are some inherent traits like bravery, honesty and humility.

Should people aim to become a good leader or an effective leader?
Effective is about achieving team success. A good or great leader let the team believe and understand that they did it themselves. The best leaders are humble, honest and give power away. They let other people take the credit. It is not about how much power a leader has, it is about how much power he gives to his team. It is not necessary for a leader to be a genius. His team can help him. 

Do you believe businessman and politicians exhibit different leadership styles?
Often yes. I do wish to see politicians more straightforward. Too many businessmen have short term visions. They care most about share prices. Politicians think mostly about their election. In their third year mandate, they already think of their next election.     

What are the challenges faced by leaders in the digital world?
The world is moving faster than ever before. There are some basic things. You make a simple mistake in one market, and before you can do anything, it is all over the world. The speed of communication creates great opportunities. People can engage in global business in their bedrooms. The digital world offers some opportunities but also some challenges. For instance, digital newspapers face a real challenge. Some people are not willing to pay for digital papers and there are various costs associated with it.  

Otherwise, in the globalised business environment, what explains the downfall of some companies?
Lack of leadership and speed are the main reasons. We do not work for a three-year plan. Make a 1,000 days plan and make a change every day. Count everyday and make every day count. Some company are adapting to the speed and the change. The digital economy is a whole new world of opportunities. The companies who are the slowest will fail to grow for sure.   

What, according to you, are the assets and qualities needed to build a world class company?
Clarity of strategy, passion and standing through the team are the main determinations. Most important is team work. It is all about creating a culture and structure. The team will be doing the job. 

What enables or even disables a person to perform at his best?
A bundle of things like passion and determination. If you are not passionate about something, don’t do it. Optimism even in tough times. Basic human needs such as take a break and do some exercise.    

What can you say to organizations which are facing difficulties to maintain motivation among their employees?
I would tell them to go back to basics. They need to ask themselves “Why are they here?”, “What are the strategies?” Do not look for incremental improvement. Look at the bigger picture. Reposition your company. Try to engage the whole team in the process.  

What were the key lessons you learned throughout your journey?
Do not run away from problems, deal with it. Do not be afraid to make a decision because not making a decision is stressful. Be open with your team. Work hard. Be truthful and humble. Celebrate success and it needs not be a big thing. 

What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I want to see other people enjoy success and win. It is such a pleasure to inspire people. I will be very happy to make other people successful.