Ten lessons in leadership: my reflections from 23 years as chief executive of housing association RHP

2. Know what you want to be brilliant at

One of the things I think we got right at RHP was to decide early on that we wanted to stand out from the crowd and what we wanted to be known for.

Coming out of a traditional local authority culture, we were hungry to learn, improve and change. So, we thought a lot about what we wanted to be brilliant at and settled on two things. First, being great at customer service and second, being a great place to work.

We recognised that to achieve great things, you need great people and to lead them well. These goals have stuck with ever since and acted as a guiding light over the years and we never give up trying to get better in both areas.

While we have come a long way, it’s very much work in progress with so much more to do. That’s what I’ve always found so exciting about RHP.

3. Aim high, very high

Having settled on our vision, we decided to think big and aim high by setting ourselves some big audacious goals which at the time felt pretty challenging.

Starting from a very low base, we decided we wanted to be one of the very best service providers in the UK and one of the country’s top employers – not just within the housing sector but right across the business world.

I’m very proud of how far we’ve come towards achieving these goals and with the reputation we’ve built for modern service, an inspirational culture and innovation. It’s been a real team effort and involved a lot of hard work from many wonderful people.

4. Find people who share your vision    

My next learning point is all about finding good people who share your passion for change and improvement, then backing them all the way. I’m proud of the culture we’ve created at RHP and how much this has changed over the years.

One of the most important ways we’ve done this is by employing people who just get what good service is about and really believe it matters. People who won’t settle for second best and are always pushing themselves, their colleagues and me to do better.

We found these people by looking outside of the sector – the sort of people you meet in cafes, restaurants and bars, who light up your day by making you feel welcome just by the way they interact with you and behave.

5. Value diversity of thinking

I’m proud to say that at the heart of our culture is diversity and inclusion, not because it’s a ‘strategy’ (although we do have one), but because it’s rooted in our core values.

We value everyone’s opinion and work hard to engage people at every level. We have gained so much from employing people from a wide range of backgrounds and with different experiences of life and work, because of the diversity of thought they bring to RHP and the challenge that brings with it.

6. Beware of perfectionism – it’s leadership kryptonite

People who know me well will say I’m a natural planner and a bit of control freak – I like to have everything planned, scheduled and timetabled. And I love a good strategy! These are all useful skills to have as a leader – so long as they are kept in balance with more human qualities.

It took me a while to realise that it is simply not realistic or healthy to try and control everything, for two important reasons. First, it’s just not how a service business like housing works, stuff happens outside of your control every day, that’s the nature of what we do. Secondly, because being a perfectionist just can’t be achieved and crushes creativity.

One of my role models gave me the wise advice to “get the important stuff right” and just let the rest follow and trust in the people around you.

7. Say sorry        

Just because I’m a CEO doesn’t mean to say I get everything right – far from it. There are days when I don’t behave as I’d like to, when I get stuff wrong, when I make mistakes. I’m just human.

What I’ve learned is the power of recognising this, admitting to mistakes and saying, “Sorry, I got it wrong”. It’s a leadership superpower available to all of us.

8. Fill your organisation with praise       

It may be a bit of cliché, but it’s true that people like being recognised and thanked for good work, for going the extra mile or for just giving it their best. Every day of my working life, I’ve tried to do this by finding big and small ways of doing this and know it works.

9. Tell your board the difficult stuff       

A well-regarded consultant gave me some great advice when I first started out as a CEO: “Don’t just tell your board all the good things, spend more time sharing what’s not going well, what you’re worried about, or just asking for help and support.”

At first I found this hard to do, but over the years I have really started to live this. And what I’ve learned is that it is the key to forming an effective and high-performing team between the board and executive team – and it’s true at all levels of the organisation.

10. Enjoy it        

I have always felt that being CEO of RHP is the best job in the world – something I still believe today. I am sure lots of other CEOs feel the same about their roles. Yes, there are days when it’s hard and things go wrong, but I always try to remind myself that I am doing something worthwhile, working with wonderful people and am well rewarded for it.

Being a CEO is an absolute privilege and a joy. I am going to miss it.

Now it’s time for a new adventure. My plan is to help like-minded organisations and people grow and succeed, both as a non-executive and advisor.

David Done, outgoing chief executive, RHP