Singapore leaders get marked down

Singapore - Only 28% of Singapore leaders rate the quality of local leadership as "very good" or "excellent", a figure much lower the 37% approval rating given by their global counterparts.

In a survey conducted by DDI International, 24% of 330 Singapore leaders rated other leaders in their organisations as "fair", or "poor". A mere 2% of leaders think they have "excellent" leadership skills while 26% think their skills are "very good".

In contrast, 49% of human resources professionals say they have high confidence in their leaders.

But why do Singaporean leaders rate themselves so poorly? According to Dr Ann Howard, chief scientist at DDI, the answer lies in the regional function that Singapore leaders work in. Because leaders who have a multinational function collaborate and coordinate across various countries, the standard set for a good leader becomes more complex compared to a counterpart who manages in just one country.

According to Howard, companies often fail to prepare their leaders for a regional scope. Thus, leaders often fail at understanding the complexities and ambiguities of governments, rules and regulations, and leadership interaction style.

"That [multinational] job is so much harder, and they feel like there is so much more that they could do. So they tend to see themselves as not being effective," says Howard.

One way to ensure a company picks the right leaders is to look at the selection process and choose leaders who are adaptable and flexible. "I imagine Singapore has more of those people. Because growing up here makes you so much more aware, and you become more open from the peer exposure," says Howard.

HR can also help prepare leaders for a regional role by providing in programmes and simulations that teach people how to react differently in different situations, says Howard. "Singapore could do a great job of developing multinational leaders, because you have so many based here. It could be a real competitive advantage for you," Howard says.