Ammonia boss says CEOs must ‘walk the talk

With 20 years experience in the energy sector under his belt,  Mark Loquan is certainly well positioned to know what leadership is all about. Loquan is President of the local company, Yara Trinidad Ltd in Point Lisas. The company was formerly Hydro Agri. He described himself as a national, leading a unionised company, operating in a multinational environment. The young business executive gave the feature address at the graduation exercises of the UWI-Institute of Business at the Hilton Trinidad recently. He also gave valuable insight into what is required of today’s leaders. Talking on the topic of, “Leadership” Loquan was clear on what was needed from today’s CEOs. “What is demanded of leadership is that we lift the capacities of our own organisations, and attempt the same for the local and national communities, to meet the requirements of higher productivity,” he said.

He also noted that the challenges facing leaders were both several and serious. He said they had to ensure that the bar is continuously set higher, to engender and foster an envrionment in which people absorb the values and derive the motivation to reach unceasingly for higher peaks of productivity. According to Loquan, a  CEO also needed to recruit and retain employees and  ensure that such employees enjoy a work environment that emphasises a balance between steady productivity and a firm commitment to family life. He said a CEO must also inspire people to strive constantly for excellence. “As leaders of tomorow, our task is to create an enabling environment where creativity and the potential of people can be harnessed,” said Loquan.

He also made it clear that in managing change, communication must be in a timely manner. People affected by change should be involved and leaders should anticipate the source of likely resistance to change and plan to minimise it, he said. “We should look forward to empowering people by entrusting them with responsibility and delegating authority while ‘walking around’. Walking the talk would be most helpful approach to leadership,” he said. Also, he added, to gain understanding and support for where they are heading, leaders must apply communication and impersonal skills. “Those skills will also facilitate the building of fruitful relationships with employees and with external partners. “Fostering good relationships at all levels is not just desirable... it is vital and is a crucial leadership skill.”

Loquan also thought that leaders must be identified as people who can not only command the technical requirements of production, but can also display a common touch for the ‘soft’ human resources concerns that are dear to people. “Good leadership visualises creative solustions,” he said. “Leaders set the boundaries and determine the next steps.  So we need to foster among the young especially, a spirit favouring creation and exploration,” said Loquan. He explained that he had only admiration for the institutions that develop programmes to foster young leadership and skill development, and for those who are boldly breaking new ground in the development of youth.

“I also firmly support increased focus on tertiary education as a building block to our country’s competitiveness,” he added. About technology, Loquan said leaders of tomorrow didn’t have the luxury of leaving it alone. “Technology is a strategic tool that can truly enable a business, or set it apart from similar businesses, or accelerate the acquisition of skills or knowledge,” said Loquan. He said he looked forward to a new order of leadership for the 21st century in Trinidad and Tobago.