Leadership and Excellence

To meet the demands of the 1990s, the Woolwich Equitable Building Society ran a “Striving for Excellence” campaign. Research was carried out into customer needs, as well as both formal and informal staff surveys. Leadership was identified as the most important element in the campaign. It was crucial that the campaign started at the top of the organisation, and had the total commitment of top management. In the belief that excellence in customer service was the key to maintaining,and improving market position, top management in the society undertook an intensive training programme in leadership as a means to excellence. The programme covered subjects such as leadership theories, what makes a good business leader, management by walkabout,peer/subordinate relations, leadership and culture,as well as the leader as communicator, delegator,innovator and coach. The article describes each component of the programme, considering its aim and the way in which it was structured, as well as its outcome.