Allan Leighton on How Leaders Kill Companies

The Chairman of the UK's Royal Mail and former head of Wal-Mart Europe, Allan Leighton, appears to be in a grumpy mood as he gives this talk at Leaders in London on how leaders kill companies. But, ignore that and focus on his no-nonsense approach to leadership, which I always find refreshing. Look out, in particular, for his second 'thing that leaders do' that kills companies - create complexity. Some managers foster complexity because the resulting lack of clarity presents them as the only people who know what is happening. This isn't leadership. Watch out for it and challenge it wherever you can.