January 8, 2010

Setting a Leadership Point of View for Yourself and Your Organization

Ignite! Newsletter—January 2010 Article

Setting a Leadership Point of View for Yourself
and Your Organization

While 2009 was a year for holding on, 2010 is shaping up to be a year of alignment and execution. The changing economic landscape has caused just about every organization to stop and re-examine their business, identifying what is critical and what isn’t.

As leaders look forward to implementing new strategies in 2010, it is important to remind people of the organization’s overall purpose and vision for the future. Now more than ever, leaders need to paint a picture for their people of where the organization is heading, why this is important, and how everyone will get there together.

“Without a compelling vision and clear goals, your leadership really doesn’t matter,” explains Ken Blanchard. “Leadership is about going somewhere. Your people need to know what vision they’re executing against, and who their leader is. Is this someone I want to follow?”

Creating a Clear and Compelling Vision

One of the things that Blanchard cautions leaders about as they begin the process of creating and articulating a clear plan for moving forward is to make sure that the vision setting process is seen as something more than just a word game. Employees can sometimes be skeptical when you’re talking about mission, vision, values, etc.

When companies take it seriously, though, a clear vision can create an enduring picture of the future that drives business results. Blanchard recommends that leaders start by answering some basic questions: What are we trying to do? How will we make a difference?

Next Blanchard recommends focusing on your customer: What do they need? What do they want from doing business with you? What do you hope that they get out of it?

“At Southwest Airlines, for example,” explains Blanchard, “They believe that they’re in the customer service business—and that they just happen to fly airplanes.”

It’s a simple, powerful statement that reminds everyone at Southwest that customer service is the foundation of their organization in a way that is memorable. And when you add in Southwest’s values of warrior spirit, servant heart, and a fun-loving attitude, you have all of the ingredients for a vision and values that can guide behavior among employees and with customers.

Do Your Leaders Personify Your Organization’s Culture?

In addition to the role they play in the setting of vision, leaders must “walk the talk” when it comes to living the values. Nothing will kill a new initiative faster than seeing senior leaders behave in ways that are inconsistent with the organization’s stated values.

At Southwest Airlines, founder and CEO Herb Kelleher made sure that the culture of spirit, service, and fun would continue after he decided to step down. So he turned to longtime Corporate Secretary Colleen Barrett as his replacement to lead the organization. Kelleher did not want someone to come in and change the vision and values of the company. He wanted somebody who would continue to implement and live the values that had already been created.

As Blanchard explains, “Part of the reason that he went to Colleen is that her whole leadership point of view was consistent with the Southwest culture.” So much so, in fact, that as Barrett shared with Blanchard for an upcoming book the two of them are working on, “I don’t know where Southwest begins and I end—or vice versa. It is who I am.”

What Do You Believe about Leadership?

Walking the talk means making sure that your own beliefs match up with the beliefs and culture of your organization. And while Blanchard believes that a foundation of all great leadership is a servant heart, the key success factor for all leaders is creating a level of transparency with others in the organization.

When leaders share a little bit about themselves it gives employees insight, confidence, and connection with a leader that builds trust. It also lets people know where the leader stands and what they can expect from him or her. To help with the process, Blanchard suggests that leaders think about—and be prepared to answer—four questions about their leadership point of view:

  1. What do you believe about leading and motivating people?
  2. What can people expect from you?
  3. What do you expect from your people?
  4. How will you set an example?

By sharing a little bit of themselves, leaders can provide employees with a glimpse into what they believe and what drives them. For leaders and employees, it can be emotional sometimes.

As Blanchard recalls, “I remember back when a president was sharing his leadership point of view. I was sitting in the back of the room. He got really emotional while speaking. He was sharing about his family and the impact that they had on him.”

After he had finished, the president asked for feedback, not sure what people would think. He was pleasantly surprised when people told him, “We think we’ve gotten to know the person who is behind the position. You were willing to share some vulnerability—which we haven’t seen in the past—and that feels good.”

Leaders who share a piece of themselves build trust among employees. When leaders don’t share, people respond by holding back parts of themselves as well. Today, organizations need a deeper level of trust and collaboration. When leaders share their leadership point of view it opens up the lines of communication and people realize that they can share too.

Developing a Leadership Point of View—Personally and Organizationally

For companies that don’t have a corporate vision in place for the coming year, it’s important to get started right away deciding where you want to go and what you want to do.

Creating a compelling vision explains who you are, where you are going, and what will guide your behaviors. Leaders can encourage the process by following a couple of key steps including identifying and sharing their own personal vision. It’s a “leading by example” strategy that will get everyone moving in the right direction.

Would you like to learn more about creating and communicating a personal and organizational vision?

Then join us for a free webinar with Ken Blanchard!

From Recovery to Prosperity: The Power of Vision and Leadership
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
9:00–10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
5:00–6:00 p.m. UK Time, 5:00–6:00 p.m. GMT

In this special two-part webinar designed for existing and aspiring executive leaders, Ken Blanchard will personally show you that creating a clear and inspiring vision is not an activity that can be checked off a list. It's one of the most critical ongoing roles of a successful leader. It means the difference between high and average performance, whether it's an entire organization, a department, or a team.

Ken Blanchard has spent more than 30 years helping leaders and organizations become and stay great. With Ken's guidance, you'll learn that today's leaders need to provide their people with:

  • A compelling vision that starts everything in the right direction.
  • A picture of the future that people can actually see.
  • Clear values that define the way employees act on a day-to-day basis
    while doing their work.

Ken will also show you that great leadership starts with looking at yourself and sharing who you are and what you stand for. In the second half of this presentation, you'll learn why it is important to identify your beliefs about leadership and how these beliefs will impact your work relationships with the people who report to you.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore and strengthen your leadership abilities with one of the foremost experts in the world. Whether you lead a team, a department, or an entire division, you will walk away from this event inspired, motivated, and ready to lead your group forward in the coming year.

Register Today

No comments: