The current economic climate is the ideal time to identify potential new leaders, Alcoa of Australia managing director Alan Cransberg said.
Addressing 100 professionals at the Australian Institute of Management Business Leaders Breakfast Series in Perth yesterday, Cransberg said that if anything good can come out of the global financial crisis, it’s that these times will really set good companies and good leaders apart.
Cransberg also stressed the importance of employee engagement, saying it’s more crucial than ever in this time of economic uncertainty.
“In my experience an engaged workforce is more productive, and businesses with an engaged workforce are more profitable,” he said.
“It’s critical, especially as we manage our way through the global financial crisis, that leaders articulate a simple business strategy to align and engage their people with their business objectives.
“We believe that if our people are engaged in their communities, then they are also engaged with us. We’ve certainly found that employee volunteering, while it is the right thing to do, also assists in building cohesive teams.