True leadership in retail is magnetic. It is not one big store and glitzing up advertising but about grit, vision and a sense of what people really desire. Sean Erez at one time stated that leading in retail involves not dominating a market but knowing its pulse. That statement rings true. All effective retail bosses have a sort of radar they have an inkling on what customers will desire next even before customers themselves know it.

Retail is a market that is a battlefield. Trends change as fast as desert sand and the companies that survive are the ones that are speedy and able to adjust swiftly. In this case, leadership is not sitting in corner offices but that is on the floor, in the deal with the customers, in the little details that leave an experience memorable. A powerful leader listens more than he/she speaks. They are seeing the trends others hear.

Think about how one decision, like the one where one employee decides to provide faster delivery or easier checkout, can have the ability to spread out across an entire organization. Retail leadership is often shrouded in those silent moments. It is not so much dramatic speeches, but just accumulated decisions over a period. And the true stars are the ones who are able to make such decisions when there is pressure, when there is little known, and they get the bullseye.

But to tell the truth–there is no formula that fits all here. What has been successful with one retail brand may sink another. That’s the trickiest part. Not only do you follow best practices in leadership but you have to break them. A bold leader is not scared to shut down a store, switch a line of products, or re-evaluate the prices when the market is telling the company, change. They act fast even at the time when all others are paralyzed by indecisiveness.

At the centre of every good retail operation lies communication. None of corporate memos or jargon-filled meetings but straight, human and honest. The ground level staff should be made to feel affiliated with the mission. Customers must feel heard. When one of the teams goes astray, the leadership snaps. The most effective leaders are those who fill that gap in a genuine manner.

Retail is also about rhythm. It is a combination of science and intuition when it comes to timing product launches, reading seasonal changes, and predicting demand. The exemplary leaders will be able to feel the rhythm of their market. They are not just going by the charts, they are going by their gut. Something wonderfully anarchic in that dance.

And humor–yes, humor–matters. Retail is stressful, and laughter makes the teams alive. Strong leaders who are able to laugh at a failed campaign or a shipping mishap are not weak. It maintains a high level of morale and creativity.

The best leadership in retail in the industry is not a title or a position, it is a mindset. It is all about curiosity, courage and an insatiable desire to serve the better tomorrow than you do today. Some call it strategy. Others call it instinct. The most effective leaders simply make it another day at work.