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This was the topic discussed in the latest episode of Business Accelerator with Alex Whitlock and Jason Back.
The discussion highlighted how leadership extends beyond traditional hierarchies, shaping businesses, teams, and customer relationships.
In the broking space, leadership may look a little different to other industries.
Here, leadership applies not just to staff but also to clients and referral partners.
Back said that leadership isn’t innate – it’s a learned skill. He shared his own evolution, from struggling as a young leader to seeking coaching, reading extensively, and embracing continuous improvement.
Many brokers become “incidental leaders,” entering the industry as technicians before being forced to develop leadership skills as their business grows.
With evolving industry structures, including technology and offshore teams, leadership is more crucial than ever.
Leadership can also differ vastly depending on the structure of the organisation.
A solo practitioner will have different responsibilities as a leader compared to a manager at a major brokerage.
Understanding what makes leadership unique for the individual circumstance is important. However, there are some blanket tips that can help any leader shine.
“You get some people who think that they’re leaders, who make the future look very bleak and they’re the only person who understands how to navigate it. To me, that’s not leadership,” said Whitlock.
“A leader is somebody who shows me that I too can move forward.”
Part of being an effective leader is understanding people. Back said this is important to grasp to better interact with colleagues.
“As we learn more about human behaviour and there’s lots of really great tools out there to understand these things you’ll find that people have different motivational drivers. So, we then got to understand how we each work with each other. And it doesn’t mean you can’t put oil and water together, but you need to work out how to get the best out of that situation,” Back said.
It’s important to avoid autocratic tendencies – dominance can backfire. Great leaders ask questions, listen, and adapt.
Equally important is to lead by example. While strategic delegation is necessary, the pair emphasised the benefit of staying hands-on when needed. Even as a leader, rolling up your sleeves builds respect.
To listen to the full discussion and gain insight on how to hone your skills as a leader, click below:
