“Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible”- General Colin Powell. A global company thinks in its global context and acts consistent with the desires and aspirations of its local communities. Leadership has many ingredients says Mark Cutifani and boils down to five key principles which positions Anglo Gold Ashanti as one of the best mining firms in the world:
The ingredients include, People, vision, structures, flexibility, and accountability. Leadership is about people, because people are the business. As leaders we must see and promote future possibilities to inspire our team to exceed beyond all expectations. We are building a new approach to leadership that supports people doing the right work-this is reflected through our leadership to deliver a new future. If you don’t deliver by putting the processes and structures in place, then you have failed as a leader. We make our roles clear by defining the responsibilities and accountabilities and exactly how we connect to every part of business.
Our business process details how all the tasks flow and fit together and exactly how people interact within the operating system to get work done. At Anglo Gold we develop:
- organisation values and people model that set limits within which the company and all its employees can be expected to behave,
- an organisation design that ensures functions are aligned in an effective hierarchy based on accountability and authority,
- an HR management sub-systems that aim to ensure that the right person is in the right role at the right time,
- A managerial leadership practices that govern the interaction between every manager and subordinate and a transformation (legislation or agreements) that influence the sub-systems.
Our vision is translated into reality by our technical model. We integrate planning by setting business expectations, set asset performance targets, set product on strategy, set service strategy and set operating master schedule. We also approve work or cost commitments, plan work, schedule work, execute work and then analyse and improve by measuring social performance, work performance and asset performance.
We have created a foundation for a new relationship, involving people in their work “Simunye” and building their understanding of the process and their role.
Leadership is about making decisions and knowing when not to make decisions. Successful CEOs make twice as more decision than unsuccessful CEOs. As a leader, one has to be flexible. Data is important but don’t ignore strategic intuition. Decisiveness ensures the right allocation of resources and commitment to the task. The most important aspect in leadership is Detour-knowing when to correct or change a decision is even more important than the first call. Accountable leader owns every outcome and does what is needed to have the right person doing the right work.
At Anglo Gold, Safety is all about people and we recognise that all our work is done through people. Safety is a barometer for leadership in mining and is a true test of all elements that define leadership.
The role of leaders and executive management is to provide leadership and put in place organisation structures and processes necessary to support the creation of value for all of our business and social partners. The challenge in delivering true managerial leadership is to create the conditions that allow every individual to contribute to their full capability.
The essence of the CEO role in the context of people is to ensure that sufficient talent is available for long term success and sustainability of the business. |
