You don’t have to be a genius to be a leader of genius!

  • Author: Kevin Gaskell
Reading time: 3 min
  • Word Count: 448
Read the news article

I have been leading companies for 25 years, You don’t have to be a genius to be a leader of genius! – my earliest challenges were to rebuild a broken Porsche brand and then to inspire the team at BMW GB to achieve a 500% improvement in profit while transforming the service levels of an industry.

Since then, Kevin Gaskell has founded start-ups, driven turnarounds and built companies in numerous sectors. Our teams have won awards and been recognised as some of the best in the world. They have also created over GBP 3 billion in shareholder value.

Now that the immediate shock of the pandemic is receding, we need to lead our teams in a way which encourages agility and dynamic growth. My view is that people are incredible. Ordinary people, led well, can achieve extraordinary results.  I believe that people can be inspired to stop chasing immediate rewards but rather think about building something that lasts, creating something of which they are proud. The principles and techniques of inspirational leadership are transferable. I help leaders and teams to deliver them:

1. High performance begins and ends with engagement.  The leader’s role is to establish a clear vision of success. Everyone needs to understand what success will look like, what it will sound like and what it will feel like. What will it mean for the customer when we get there? Everyone in the team has a role to play so we give them the opportunity to get excited and engaged.

2. Challenges are opportunities for growth.  Address the fear of change by discussing the new status we are striving for. Evaluate carefully the opportunities and the marketplace and deal only in facts. Get excited together by being enthusiastic about the freedom to make real and substantial change. Invite team members to move quickly.

3. Make it easy for the team to contribute. Build a clear, but simple, plan. Share it. Invite comments and ideas. Excite the high performers to become leaders at every level in the organisation. Be totally inclusive of talent and ideas – let people dream! Communicate the successes of individual’s ideas and improvements.

4. Praise first, challenge later. Provide regular feedback. Make heroes of the high performing teams by praising their approach to a challenge. A positive approach can be transferable to other areas. Leadership is about creating a positive culture and letting the team run. It is not the end of the world if it goes wrong.

5. Recognise that people are amazing. Leading teams to high performance is about creating the belief that ideas and challenge are progress. Set a positive example, be approachable, consistent, and make champions visible. Positive belief is an energy which transfers to others.

Was this article helpful?

Further articles you may enjoy:

  • (2)

Over three decades or so I’ve been involved with more than a dozen businesses providing Inspired Leadership. All but one has been extremely successful*. The key and consistent factor to their success is leadership that inspires the teams to strive for excellence. An inspirational leader is the catalyst for creativity and innovation.  Inspired Leadership doesn’t […]

  • April 22, 2023
  • (10)

The move from individual contributor to people manager is more than just a title change. It’s a fundamental shift in how you create value. Where you were once measured by the quality of your own work, you’re now responsible for the success of others. And that shift comes with a whole new set of rules […]

  • September 2, 2025
  • (8)

Michelle Curran: A Beacon of Leadership, Motivation, and Teamwork In the dynamic landscape of leadership and motivation, certain individuals emerge as beacons, guiding others through the intricacies of teamwork and motivation. Among these luminaries stands Michelle “Mace” Curran, a name synonymous with excellence in leadership, motivation, and teamwork. With a background steeped in military expertise […]

  • April 26, 2024
  • (14)

Heading to Dallas from Kansas City recently, I heard the familiar tone of the voice over the intercom start up and to Self Care When Burned: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve got a full flight to Dallas today…” Travel is BACK and flights are almost always full again, so I couldn’t be surprised by what came […]

  • February 28, 2023
  • (41)

The old saying, “What got you here won’t get you there,” applies to your professional life today with One Skill You Need. The world is quickly changing as well as the competitive landscape. Whether you are running a business or trying to increase your career equity, ramping up One Skill You Need set is important. […]

  • May 18, 2023
  • (11)

I have worked with corporate teams that measure Leadership Effectiveness and what seems like everything. My concern with these teams isn’t what they are measuring, but rather what they are not measuring – leadership effectiveness. Teams measure on-time delivery, sales call per day, employee engagement, and so many more useful metrics. I’ve even seen a […]

  • December 22, 2022
  • (5)

What are the warning signs of an empty resilience tank? HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO PAUSE In my experience, there are four primary indicators that tend to show up each time my resilience tank is running low. They don’t always show up in the same order but, without fail, they will show up […]

  • February 10, 2023
  • (34)

How much could your team accomplish if they felt safe they couldn’t fail with a SAFETY NET? In San Francisco on January 5th 1933 construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge. The chief engineer assigned to the project was Joseph Strauss. Bridge building was extremely dangerous back then and the industry norm was one construction […]

  • January 15, 2023

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get connected:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

We use Brevo as our marketing platform. By submitting this form you agree that the personal data you provided will be transferred to Brevo for processing in accordance with Brevo's Privacy Policy.

Our Mission:

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2026.  Designed using Voxel

AI Assistant
Speakers Inc Logo 2024
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.