What’s the secret to success?
At Entec Si, our executive chairman, Peter Marsden, and our CEO, Eman Al-Hillawi, have been putting their heads together as joint leaders of the consultancy business since the early 2000s. With many lessons learned over the years, here are our top tips for those considering a business partnership.
1. Identifying key leadership skills
To successfully implement joint leadership strategies, it’s important to first take stock of the complementary skills of you and your partner. This will help to create a unified vision that makes the best of different skill sets. This allows for alternative perspectives, encourages growth, and unique qualities to shine through.
2. Playing to your strengths
It is important to take the lead in different business responsibilities based on your strength. For example, as a person-centric leader with a keen eye for detail, Eman is perfect for building clients and marketing the brand. Peter’s strategic skills make him the right candidate for the Executive Chair, focusing on the future growth and development of the business.
Separating roles based on individual strengths means they can work in unison rather than having a competitive environment.
3. Communication is the key
Regular and transparent communication is essential for a fast-growing business regardless of schedules and physical distance. At Entec Si, communication has been a central component of the way Eman and Peter work. It is important to keep reviewing the channels, formats, and frequency of communication when talking to the entire business, and when talking to each other.
4. Navigate through disagreements
Disagreements will occur, but the key to navigating through them is finding a positive way to resolve them. When faced with different opinions, both parties should communicate their ideas while seeking an alternative solution. We also recommend taking a step back to reflect and re-convene later to discuss and find a solution.
5. Have a strong foundation
Joint leadership requires a strong foundation of friendship, trust, communication, and compromise. Having these foundations means that you can support, challenge, and learn from each other,
Eman and Peter have found the benefits of joint leadership to be bountiful. Constantly challenging and supporting each other during the decision-making process has helped Entec Si to reach new levels of success. By sharing the weight of running a business through joint leadership, you can reduce pressure, expand your knowledge, and get a fresh perspective on decision making.