Question 10 -GAIL KELLY: THE BANK CEO WITH A HUMAN TOUCH

In 2016, Gail Kelly, an Australian/South African businesswoman, furthered her distinguished career when she accepted a board position at Woolwor ths Holdings, the South African retail chain. In its public announcement, the group stated that it believed Gail Kelly's prior experience would help her navigate the changing global retail environment as the group grew to become a major global retailer in the southern hemisphere.

Gail Kelley is best known for having been the Managing Director of St. George Bank from 2002 to 2007, and CEO of Westpac from 2008 until stepping down on the last day of January 2015, where she oversaw the merger of the two banks in 2008. She was the first female CEO of one of Australia's big four banks and the one who, in 2014, received the highest salary of all bankers in that country. In the years that he ran Westpac, the bank's market value and profits more than doubled.

Kelley is often recognized for her role on the council of the Group of Thirty, an elite group that meets to discuss international economic and financial issues, her work as a global advisor to the US Council on Foreign Relations, and her Appointment as Vice President of the International Monetary Conference. Additionally, in 2016, she had accepted the Chair of the Global Banking Conference, was Australia's Ambassador for Women's Empowerment at CARE, and a member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Council.

A mother of four children and a strong advocate of increasing female leadership in the workplace, Kelly has stood out in her field for both her gender and her success. However, this is not the most interesting part of his career. What truly stands out is his leadership style. She has been described as the bank CEO with a human touch.

When asked how she has achieved so much throughout her career, she responds by going back to her basic philosophy of leadership, which is simply that you really like people. This involves appreciating the richness, variety, and ambiguity of people.

Kelly was born in Pretoria and raised in South Africa, where she held senior positions with the Nedbank Group. She attributes her distinctive brand of generosity and vision of people to growing up in Africa.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, she saw the great change that the country was undergoing. During her time working in South Africa, it was necessary to have the ability to accept change and how to deal with a complex and stressful environment. Nelson Mandela was his hero because he 'came out of prison without bitterness, was able to step into other people's shoes, lived in the moment, decided to be positive and looked for symbols'. Precisely what leaders do.

Early in her career, Kelly's philosophy was to work with and through people, but as she matured she shifted that view slightly to the idea of generosity of spirit. For her, generosity of spirit means believing in the strength of individuals to make a difference, to respect differences, and to respect individuals. It is also a matter of creating an environment where each individual can flourish and prosper at every level of the organization, while always allowing everyone flexibility and accountability. His approach to leadership is also based on drive, energy and the gift of storytelling. One point that she has practiced is knowing herself clearly, and she is always aware of the impact she makes in a room, because she knows that people are always watching her. He believes that it is essential to recruit people who are the right ones for the organization. What is most important is her attitude and the alignment of her values with those she considers to be central to the organization. A positive attitude is fundamental, as well as loving what one does. She thinks that if employees love what they do, it will mean more to them. Happiness is the real priority. If employees are happy with what they do, then success is likely to follow. The same philosophy applies to her: Kelley is known for her enormous enthusiasm, and when describing new steps and developments she frequently exclaims, this is unbelievably exciting...I love it!

Kelly's language is always inclusive. When he was in charge of the bank, in his public statements he proclaimed: There is not much we CAN do; in which case the use of the second person suggests that all bank employees are important, not just the top executives, which encourages employees to feel a sense of ownership.

His actions directly influenced the organizational culture due to these administrative and leadership processes because he took control of the internal environment of the organization. Kelly fostered a positive, motivated and 'fun' environment, a point rarely associated with established banking institutions. When Kelly retired from Westpac in 2015, she gave some advice to young leaders based on her recipe for success.

1. Choose the positive

Kelly thinks that leaders can choose how they see the world. He attributes his positive attitude to living in a small, happy family in Pretoria, with positive parents who were inherently optimistic. It warns that even in difficult times, the person chooses to seek the teachings, the knowledge, the opportunities and the next steps.

2. Focus on people and culture

At Westpac, the thing he was most proud of was the culture that developed under his leadership. He described it as a wonderful organization, made up of people who care deeply about their customers and their communities, but who also understand the company's vision.

Every day, he saw his employees willing to make a difference for customers and the community, always trying to do the right thing.

3. Learn to communicate

Kelly believes it is very important to clearly communicate the organization's vision and purpose. It assumes that many banks lost their way during the financial crisis because they only focused on shareholder value and forgot the true purpose that a bank serves in society.

Westpac's vision was to become one of the world's most respected companies, helping our people, our customers and our communities prosper and grow. Kelly talked about this issue everywhere, and hoped that everyone on the team knew and understood the vision and strategy.

QUESTIONS

1. What do you think of Gail Kelly's leadership style? Can we describe it as a particular type of leadership?

2. Under what circumstances would this form of leadership be most appropriate?

3. Can you think of a situation in which Gail Kelly's leadership style would not have been effective?