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Set Up For Success

Written by: Douglas Long

Article Overview: In many organisations, success seems to be a random variable. Good leaders consciously try to create an environment in which both the organisation and its people can maximise their probability of being successful. This articcle provides some pointers in how to do this.

Set Up For Success

"Leadership is the creation of an environment in which people can be successful." That is the mantra I have promoted for years - a mantra that arose from my research into how people in the Asia-Pacific region see leadership ("Leaders: diamonds or cubic zirconia - asia pacific leaders on leadership", 1998, Centre for Leadership Studies, Sydney).

But what does it mean in practical terms?

In the 1970's and 80's it seemed that the traditional path for obtaining success was to set goals and make plans. This approach was based on observations that showed successful organisations knew where they were going and they knew how they were going to get there. It made (and makes) sense and it certainly was a very useful approach. However many organisations that set goals and made plans, still failed. My interest was "why?" Despite all the goal setting and planning, was success really still a random outcome?

What I (and many other researchers) found was that good management was only part of the story. Management could certainly establish what needed to be done and could control and monitor how it was done - both essential contributors to success. But even the very best managers could not predict every variable that would impact on the organisation and no manager could devise a workable plan that allowed for every contingency. Time and again "success" came down to how an individual or group of individuals responded to unexpected or new situations. The more committed people were to their organisation, the greater the probability that they would respond appropriately. Developing this commitment required leadership.

My research shows that there are 8 facets to leadership.

1. Confidence.

Leadership requires that people see themselves as being leaders. This was the message I was making in a previous article, Am I a Leader? I said: 'a leader is "someone who I can trust and respect and who enables me to get things done and who, in that process, inspires me to do my best and to achieve results."'

The first step in setting up for success is to recognise your role and to have the confidence that you can lead. Stop comparing yourself with the famous and powerful. You are you and the starting point for how you lead will depend on your personal attributes, your personal situation, and the organisation in which you are going to be a leader.

2. Values.

Take time to understand the absolute core values that drive your life and your organisation. A core value is one that you will not violate no matter what the pressure. If the mission of your organisation is the road along which you are travelling, your core values are the kerbing on that road - they provide the absolute limits within which any activity can take place. Exceed those limits and there's no place for you in the organisation.

This is one of the hardest areas to work on. Many people and organisations list their values but all too often they are simply 'shopping lists' from which you can select what seems appropriate or where substitution and interpretation is allowed. When you set out your values, explain them in behavioural terms, and make it clear that violating any of them is not an option, then you are on your way.

3. Integrity

The bottom line in 'integrity' is 'walking the talk'. If you espouse one thing yet you are seen doing another, people will accuse you of a lack of integrity. This is why setting out your values in behavioural terms is so important. When this is done you and your people have clear guidelines as to how to behave - and there are clear measures by which integrity can be assessed.

4. People Orientation

Organisations achieve results through people -be they customers, associates, employees, etc. Leaders need to be interested in people and they need to be prepared to work with and through others. This means that leaders need to be active people developers - facilitating growth in others so that they are better equipped for their tasks. A key part of this is to respect all other people regardless of any characteristic or trait that person might have. Leaders are non-discriminatory in every aspect of life.

5. Change Orientation

A critical aspect of leadership is moving forward - taking your organisation to new places and doing new things.

I talked about this in an earlier article, too. In The Brain of a Leader I discussed 'red zone' versus 'blue zone' areas of control in our brains. A 'red zone' brain control will seek to maintain the status quo - it will oppose anything that may be a threat because it sees any real or imagined threat as something that could endanger survival.

Leaders recognise that there are always better ways of doing things and that there are always new things to explore. They are prepared to listen to suggestions no matter who may make them and they are open to implementing change when such suggestions make sense and are in accord with the values and mission of the organisation.

6. Creativity

Leaders understand that continuing to do the same things yet expecting different results can be described as a form of insanity. Pouring time and effort into something when it is clear that things are not working is plain stupidity (even though we see it constantly).

If a leader is taking his or her organisation into that which is new, then, by definition, new approaches will be necessary. Past experience and tried and true approaches may prove inappropriate. Leaders seek out creative and new approaches that are suitable for emergent situations and conditions.

7. Communication

Leaders are good communicators - and that means being a good listener as well as being clear in what and how you say things whether verbally or in writing. It also means communicating in a language that your listeners can understand - it's no use speaking English if your listeners can't understand it and there are no good interpreters around! Similarly it's no use using technical language or jargon if your listeners can't understand it.

Communication also means "keeping your message simple" as well as checking to see that your listeners have heard and understand your message.

8. Creating an Environment for Success

When I work with groups I often play a game in which people have to insert a paddle into a container of red and white beads. The task is for a person to insert the paddle and bring it out with only white beads on it - an almost impossible task. This graphically drives home the point that the more red beads you remove, the greater the probability of success in getting only white beads.

In your organisation, what are the "red beads" that impede success? As a leader, one of your primary jobs is "chief remover of red beads"!

Related Articles
  What Success Means to People
  Success: What Does It Mean To You?
  What is Your Personal Definition of Success?
  Success Demands You Must Go Where You’ve Never Gone Before by Doing What You’ve Never Done Before
  The Role of Self-Confidence in Success

Article Tags: effective leadership, facets of leadership, good leaders



Related Forum Posts
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Success = Thinking (Head) + Heart (Feeling / Interest) + Hand (doing/ action). Success - H3 Robert
Re: Success - I study success intently, and would like to share: Here's two excellent and nearly identical success-formulas from a couple of the world's masters. FIRST FORMULA: 1. Passionate Desire 2. Clear, Definite Purpose 3. Committed Decision 4. Take Action In Faith (Bonus Secret Sauce: 5. Repeat Consistently) I made a video about this, but am not allowed to link it yet. Google "Ryze Success Steps" for it. Oh, and this is Napoleon Hill's (Master Of Success Laws)'s Formula. SECOND FORMULA: 1. Passionate Desire 2. Understand It Is Already Done (Faith) 3. Relax & Allow It To Unfold (Go about your life calmly) This one is courtesy of Abraham-Hicks (inspiration for the movie The Secret). Hope that helps!
Success Strategies - How to get the results you want now? Success Strategies and Action Steps I have used are: The Power of Choice Where you are at this present moment, is exactly perfect from the choices you have made. If you want to be somewhere else, you have to decide clearly what that is (your goal/outcome) and create action steps to achieve this. The Power of Focus The book "The Power of Focus" by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt, is one of my treasures in my Entrepreneur Library. If you focus on what you want versus what you do not want, your conscious and sub-conscious mind will direct attention to this. The movie, What the Bleep, Down the Rabbit Hole, explains this in detail about quantum physics and what we create in our lives. The Power of Commitment This is not about commitment to others. The first step is the commitment, your word, you make to yourself. Accountability and responsibility are additional success strategies and ingredients to creating the success, defined by you, that you want. The commitment to others reflects your integrity, your word and the team you work with. Co-workers, clients, yoru family, friends and community. My Success Acronyn in Success Breakthroughs(c) is: S pecific & self-directed U nlimited opportunities & possibilities C reate powerful outcomes C onsistent measureable results E xperience pwoerful transformation S olution and action-oriented S uccessful habits and outcomes Break Through to Powerful LIfestyle & Performance Choices Moira
Re: Books for the Entrepreneur - Here's one of my most recent books The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success By Brian Tracy
Re: What is your age? - Kevin, Success is the best revenge. they are telling the world that been raised by sinlge parent will not determine their success in life


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