Millions of words have been written about the qualities and characteristics of a leader, and there has been much debate about what makes the best leader.
But in the end, leaders are judged by what they have achieved, and rightly so. But what do successful leaders do?
Put simply, they lead people somewhere they haven’t been before. That is, leaders create change. In the process of doing that, leaders do three things:
- Vision – the starting point is a vision of the change they wish to create. We’ve all heard that leaders are visionary, and unfortunately I think that many people see that as a talent that very few are blessed with. Being visionary simply means being able to see (in my mind’s eye) the end result I want to achieve.
- Alignment – just as important as being able to “see” the end result is the ability to articulate the vision in a way that gets the team into “alignment” – to be fully committed to achieving the vision.
- Execution – getting team members engaged in executing the vision is the essential final step to creating change.
The ability to do these things should not just be reserved for the executive suite. Every team leader should have a vision of what their team is capable of achieving, get the team in alignment with that vision and then execute to achieve it.It’s the work of a leader!
Would you like to assess how you go about doing the work of a leader? I am working with Inscape Publishing Inc in the beta test phase of a new Leadership Profile designed to help leaders be more effective in doing the “work of a leader”.
If you would like to take the profile please send an email to nicola@integro.com.au with Leadership Profile in the subject line. I will need you to respond to the profile by July 30.
What is your experience of working with leaders who were effective at performing the work of a leader? I would like to hear your stories.
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