Probably best known for his work on paradigm shifts, Joel Barker made a great point here. After all, isn’t the essence of leadership about setting a vision and encouraging people to follow you to attain it?
The leader needs to have a clear picture of the long-term goal for the business, and then be able to communicate this effectively, getting people to understand the vision and to want to be a part of it.
People then need to understand how the vision can be achieved. It’s not necessary, and generally not possible, to outline the detail of every step to get there, but it does need the leader to show the next few steps or goals, with decreasing detail as they look ahead.
Or, as Martin Luther King Jnr said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
This comes back to the BHAG and OMG approach to goal-setting that I’ve covered previously, and the use of the OKR framework to set appropriate objectives.
And remember, clear communication is key for any leader – tell your team what’s expected and why, and give regular updates on progress, too.
Take action on the next steps and the way to achieve your vision will become clearer with time. Don’t delay – it’s easier to change course with your team when you already have forward momentum than trying to start from a standstill.
#BusinessFitness #Coaching #Growth #Leadership #Motivation #People #Strategy #Teams #QOTW
Some of my other short posts related to this that might be of use: