To Calculate or not to Calculate – That is a Leadership Question and EU (Cyprus included) has Failed to Answer

The economy cannot be led to sustainable development by concentrating solely on numbers. The critical issues are not numerical.

As the late Stephen Covey has said “You can buy people’s hands but not their heart – that is where their enthusiasm and loyalty lies. You can buy their muscular power but not their brain – that is where their intelligence and creativity lies”.

And for an economy to sustain, is equally, it not more important, to mobilize every gram of intelligence, creativity, loyalty and enthusiasm there is.

Make no mistake, it all boils down to numbers and I am among the strong believers of measuring performance, KPIs, financial indicators and what have you.

However, there are two important parameters not to be neglected:

1. Sustainability and growth are equally controlled by quantitative as well as qualitative indicators.
2. Measuring and numbers should guide us, not control or constrain us.

It is evident that current Leadership in EU and even worse in Cyprus focuses on tackling important issues of the economy and not only, by crunching numbers on calculators rather than seeking ways to mobilize those who are responsible on a daily basis to bring about the numbers.

I know why this happes. It is the easy way out!

It is no surprise to me what the recent surveys have shown with regards to Leadership and trust as perceived by people.

By the way, a survey is a tool that converts a qualitative indicator into a number.

I don’t mean to be harsh or offensive, even through sometimes I am but I have said many times that this kind of proclaimed Leadership is  pure Leaders – Shit that only makes the gap bigger.

Yiannakis Mouzouris
Senior Business Consultant / Trainer
Conicon Ltd