How to reap the rewards of a re-defined leadership model with a ‘people-first’ approach

In an age of rapid digital innovation, it is important not to lose sight of the bedrock of customer experience – people. Fortunately, the emergence of a re-defined style of leadership is ensuring ‘people’ remain front of mind.

As technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning becomes ever more pervasive, the most effective leaders will be those who embrace innovation while promoting a culture of empowerment and transparency within their organisations.

Gone are the days of an autocratic style of leadership, where micromanagement was a common issue for employees to navigate. There is a wealth of talent and ideas within most companies and a good leader will know how to unlock this through collaboration and flexibility.

A people-first approach

At Firstsource, we have set a very clear vision, which is built around our ‘people-first’ approach. To ensure we realise this vision we have devised a strategy that relies on the core values of empowerment and transparency.

My personal leadership style has been shaped by an appetite to learn from those around me. I am a subscriber to the old adage that every day is a new learning experience and it is an outlook that has served me well throughout my career so far.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work for some particularly influential bosses over the years but it would be a mistake to assume that you can only learn from those in charge. Ideas and inspiration can be taken from all levels of an organisation and the leaders who are able to leverage company-wide insights will be those who go on to achieve great things for their business.

Another important virtue in this era of re-defined leadership is that of humility. If you want to be able to learn from those around you, you must first make yourself accessible and approachable. Accepting your knowledge gaps and actively seeking advice is another important aspect of a humble – and ultimately effective – leader.  

As a major business process outsourcing (BPO) provider, we are well attuned to the game-changing potential of AI and other digital solutions, however, it is ‘people’ that remains at the very core of what we do.

We currently operate nine contact centres across the UK containing 5,000 staff members supporting clients across financial services, utilities, and media and telco. As we continue to onboard employees on a weekly basis, it is the responsibility of our leaders to ensure each new member of the team is provided with the best possible training and support to realise their potential and achieve their career aspirations.

I believe a people-first approach is absolutely fundamental in not just promoting a healthy culture within an organisation, but also delivering results to clients – it’s the reason we have maintained a successful partnership with certain clients for the past two decades.

D&I must be a focus area for progressive leaders

One of the central pillars to a people-first approach is an unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I). Indeed, the re-defined leadership model demands that D&I is woven into the fabric of an organisation.

D&I is something we take incredibly seriously at Firstsource, and this is evidenced by the fact that we have featured in the Bloomberg Equality Index for two consecutive years. We have seen first-hand how a robust D&I policy can promote financial growth by channeling the abundance of diverse ideas within various teams.

There are many different strands in terms of D&I, one area that is particularly close to my heart is the empowerment and progression of women within our organisation. As one of the executive sponsors of the Firstsource Women’s inspiration Network (WiN), I am committed to supporting wider efforts to help provide stepping-stones to our female employees around the world. This could be in the form of training to develop corporate skills, or by offering mentoring workshops. 

Bigger ESG ambitions

As we look to fully embrace the re-defined leadership model, we will gradually turn our attention to the various countries and regions where we have a footprint and assess how we may be able to support local communities as part of a broader ESG policy.

There is already a lot of good work taking place in pockets across business units but the intention is to make this a seamless, global approach. With the arrival of our new CEO [Ritesh Idnani] and the development of a new executive leadership team, we are creating a pathway to realising our ESG ambitions in 2024.

Don’t slip back into old leadership habits

Of course, shaking off a hierarchical structure in favour of a more progressive leadership model can often be easier said than done. Some companies may find themselves slipping back towards a top-down approach, while others might struggle to strike the right balance between empowering employees and maintaining organisational discipline. 

However, those who are disciplined enough to implement a re-defined leadership model can expect to thrive in a culture of partnership and shared responsibility, which will only serve to boost productivity and vastly improve the working lives of employees and leaders alike.