A TIME FOR LEADERSHIP, A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE 21st CENTURY
A TIME FOR LEADERSHIP, A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE 21st CENTURY
The 1980's and 1990’s were truly the golden years for most businesses. Growth was the order of the day and the opportunities for success were plentiful. Now, the golden years are clearly over. Businesses are laying people off, cutting back, and positioning themselves to survive.
As clearly stated over and over by Tom Peters in his many books on excellence and also by other writers on business success, a prescription for success in the past is no guarantee for success in the future. As explained by futurist Joel Barker in his tape series "The Business of Paradigms", when the rules change, the slate gets wiped clean, and everyone has an equal chance of success in the future.
Today, the rules have clearly changed and this is the biggest challenge for the 21st century. Unfortunately, most businesses leaders are preparing for the years ahead in the same way they prepared for the eighties and nineties, and these formerly successful strategies are destined to fail. In these difficult economic times, new approaches are required to succeed and prosper. Now more than ever, what it is going to take to survive is leadership. True leadership must include the following:
A vision for the organization - Essential to any successful organization is a powerful vision for its future. A powerful vision serves as a source of inspiration for the employees, unleashing their creativity, productivity and effectiveness. Without such a vision, work quickly becomes exactly that, work, sapping people of their natural aliveness and motivation and leaving them feeling disempowered and resigned. No organization can be effective under such circumstances.
A classic example of what a powerful vision did for an organization was what President Kennedy's vision of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely did for NASA. The circumstances for NASA in the early sixties were certainly no better than those facing us today. At the time of Kennedy's famous pronouncement, NASA did not have the money, the rocketry, the materials, the computer technology, the manpower, or anything else needed to accomplish his stated objective. Yet, the vision was so powerful and so compelling that it mobilized thousands of people into action, and on July 20, 1969 the mission was accomplished.
In an organizational setting, a vision for the organization is equally important, although it obviously does not have to be so grandiose. It should, however, include a statement of the organizations fundamental commitments and values; its commitments to its customers, to the quality of its work, to its employees and owners, and to the community in which it operates.
An empowering culture - Whereas the vision sets forth the fundamental purpose of the organization, the culture provides "the rules of the road". Every organization has a culture, but unfortunately it is usually not one that is consciously and thoughtfully designed. In most organizations, the culture permits idle gossiping, complaining, competition, a short term focus, and many other behaviors that disempower by pitting individuals against each other. If an organization is to survive in the 21st century, it is going to have to develop and implement a culture designed to inspire people and to forge people into a cohesive group. Everyone in the organization must be aligned on a common future and must operate according to the rules of team. The culture must empower people to build relationship and promote communication. In the years ahead, those with the greatest commitment to quality and excellence are the ones that will have the greatest chance of survival. Essential to success will be a culture designed to promote this. An environment that eliminates gossip and complaints, resolves competitive tension, focuses individual achievement on the success of the entire organization, and provides customers with more than they expect, will be absolutely imperative.
Goals, objectives, and a plan - A critical element of leadership is clarity as to the goals and objectives of the organization and a plan for their achievement. Most organizations fail to complete even a one year plan, let alone a five year plan, and both are critical. A strategic objective, a comprehensive picture of where the organization will be and what it will look like in five years, allows people in the organization to see their future through the organization and mobilizes them into action to achieve that future. Furthermore, with a strategic objective, management can establish yearly objectives, monthly goals, and weekly targets. These elements serve to focus people's activities and tends to take the power and energy existing in the organization, which is typically scattered in a number of different directions, and align it on a defined future.
The strategic and yearly objectives also form the basis of designing a plan. As the Cheshire Cat told Alice in Alice in Wonderland, "If you don't know where you are going, it doesn't matter what path you take." If an organization doesn't have a clear picture of the future that it is committed to, it's impossible to create a plan to get there and to mobilize people to action. It is the job of leadership to make sure that everybody is clear about and focused on the future the organization is committed to.
A suitable organizational structure - The final essential element of an organization well structured for the challenges ahead will be an organizational/power structure which "pulls" for the fulfillment of the organization's mission. Most organizations attempt to operate by committee or consensus. While it seems like a reasonable approach, it is neither efficient nor effective. In most organizations, once the leadership has aligned on a vision, a culture and a strategic objective, what will be necessary is for someone to assume the responsibility of leader and for all others to be committed to empowering that leader.
The primary job of the leader then becomes keeping the vision alive and in front of everyone in the organization and making sure that the culture is understood, appreciated and followed. Another function of the leader is to make sure that the goals and objectives are understood, regularly reviewed and updated and that a plan is established for the accomplishment of all objectives. A third function of the leader is to hold people accountable for fulfilling on their commitments and keeping their promises, for no organization can succeed if people don't take seriously what they take on. The final function of the leader is to make sure people are acknowledged and rewarded for the contributions that they make to the organization.
The fundamental role of everyone else in the organization is to empower the leader. This involves listening, embracing the vision, being willing to make commitments and promises, being willing to be held accountable and, above all, making the leader right. People in organizations must understand that their interest is served only when the leader wins and that everybody loses when the leader is criticized or otherwise made wrong.
The importance of leadership in these times can not be ignored or minimized. Those in management that are presently operating under the old rules are already finding themselves having great difficulties. Continuing to ignore the realities of the present economic circumstances has already proven fatal to many organizations and will continue to claim casualties in the future. By exemplifying leadership, by mastering the elements discussed herein, the management of organizations can gain control over their futures and, with a great deal of predictability, insure not only their survival but their success.
A TIME FOR LEADERSHIP A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE 21st CENTURY - To learn more about this author, visit Scott Hunter's Website.
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The poor state of the economy and the impact that it is having on virtually everyone is a subject on every person’s mind today. Almost daily, the newspapers report the dismal economic statistics, another massive layoff, plant shutdowns, sluggish sales and growing unemployment. The country is clearly in the throws of a significant economic downturn, and it will continue to have a major impact on almost everyone.
The 1980's and 1990’s were truly the golden years for most businesses. Growth was the order of the day and the opportunities for success were plentiful. Now, the golden years are clearly over. Businesses are laying people off, cutting back, and positioning themselves to survive.
As clearly stated over and over by Tom Peters in his many books on excellence and also by other writers on business success, a prescription for success in the past is no guarantee for success in the future. As explained by futurist Joel Barker in his tape series "The Business of Paradigms", when the rules change, the slate gets wiped clean, and everyone has an equal chance of success in the future.
Today, the rules have clearly changed and this is the biggest challenge for the 21st century. Unfortunately, most businesses leaders are preparing for the years ahead in the same way they prepared for the eighties and nineties, and these formerly successful strategies are destined to fail. In these difficult economic times, new approaches are required to succeed and prosper. Now more than ever, what it is going to take to survive is leadership. True leadership must include the following:
A vision for the organization - Essential to any successful organization is a powerful vision for its future. A powerful vision serves as a source of inspiration for the employees, unleashing their creativity, productivity and effectiveness. Without such a vision, work quickly becomes exactly that, work, sapping people of their natural aliveness and motivation and leaving them feeling disempowered and resigned. No organization can be effective under such circumstances.
A classic example of what a powerful vision did for an organization was what President Kennedy's vision of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely did for NASA. The circumstances for NASA in the early sixties were certainly no better than those facing us today. At the time of Kennedy's famous pronouncement, NASA did not have the money, the rocketry, the materials, the computer technology, the manpower, or anything else needed to accomplish his stated objective. Yet, the vision was so powerful and so compelling that it mobilized thousands of people into action, and on July 20, 1969 the mission was accomplished.
In an organizational setting, a vision for the organization is equally important, although it obviously does not have to be so grandiose. It should, however, include a statement of the organizations fundamental commitments and values; its commitments to its customers, to the quality of its work, to its employees and owners, and to the community in which it operates.
An empowering culture - Whereas the vision sets forth the fundamental purpose of the organization, the culture provides "the rules of the road". Every organization has a culture, but unfortunately it is usually not one that is consciously and thoughtfully designed. In most organizations, the culture permits idle gossiping, complaining, competition, a short term focus, and many other behaviors that disempower by pitting individuals against each other. If an organization is to survive in the 21st century, it is going to have to develop and implement a culture designed to inspire people and to forge people into a cohesive group. Everyone in the organization must be aligned on a common future and must operate according to the rules of team. The culture must empower people to build relationship and promote communication. In the years ahead, those with the greatest commitment to quality and excellence are the ones that will have the greatest chance of survival. Essential to success will be a culture designed to promote this. An environment that eliminates gossip and complaints, resolves competitive tension, focuses individual achievement on the success of the entire organization, and provides customers with more than they expect, will be absolutely imperative.
Goals, objectives, and a plan - A critical element of leadership is clarity as to the goals and objectives of the organization and a plan for their achievement. Most organizations fail to complete even a one year plan, let alone a five year plan, and both are critical. A strategic objective, a comprehensive picture of where the organization will be and what it will look like in five years, allows people in the organization to see their future through the organization and mobilizes them into action to achieve that future. Furthermore, with a strategic objective, management can establish yearly objectives, monthly goals, and weekly targets. These elements serve to focus people's activities and tends to take the power and energy existing in the organization, which is typically scattered in a number of different directions, and align it on a defined future.
The strategic and yearly objectives also form the basis of designing a plan. As the Cheshire Cat told Alice in Alice in Wonderland, "If you don't know where you are going, it doesn't matter what path you take." If an organization doesn't have a clear picture of the future that it is committed to, it's impossible to create a plan to get there and to mobilize people to action. It is the job of leadership to make sure that everybody is clear about and focused on the future the organization is committed to.
A suitable organizational structure - The final essential element of an organization well structured for the challenges ahead will be an organizational/power structure which "pulls" for the fulfillment of the organization's mission. Most organizations attempt to operate by committee or consensus. While it seems like a reasonable approach, it is neither efficient nor effective. In most organizations, once the leadership has aligned on a vision, a culture and a strategic objective, what will be necessary is for someone to assume the responsibility of leader and for all others to be committed to empowering that leader.
The primary job of the leader then becomes keeping the vision alive and in front of everyone in the organization and making sure that the culture is understood, appreciated and followed. Another function of the leader is to make sure that the goals and objectives are understood, regularly reviewed and updated and that a plan is established for the accomplishment of all objectives. A third function of the leader is to hold people accountable for fulfilling on their commitments and keeping their promises, for no organization can succeed if people don't take seriously what they take on. The final function of the leader is to make sure people are acknowledged and rewarded for the contributions that they make to the organization.
The fundamental role of everyone else in the organization is to empower the leader. This involves listening, embracing the vision, being willing to make commitments and promises, being willing to be held accountable and, above all, making the leader right. People in organizations must understand that their interest is served only when the leader wins and that everybody loses when the leader is criticized or otherwise made wrong.
The importance of leadership in these times can not be ignored or minimized. Those in management that are presently operating under the old rules are already finding themselves having great difficulties. Continuing to ignore the realities of the present economic circumstances has already proven fatal to many organizations and will continue to claim casualties in the future. By exemplifying leadership, by mastering the elements discussed herein, the management of organizations can gain control over their futures and, with a great deal of predictability, insure not only their survival but their success.
A TIME FOR LEADERSHIP A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE 21st CENTURY - To learn more about this author, visit Scott Hunter's Website.
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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