Do you have an appreciation for the impact that a “culture of leadership” can have on the success of your organization? Does your definition of leadership include the whole organization or are you bearing the entire burden? Are you afraid to let go or have you just never been taught how truly effective leaders transform organizations? It is easier than you think, and the rewards are astonishing.
Benefits of Strong Leadership
The organizations with strong visionary leaders reap many of the following benefits:
• Continual flow of business at profitable rates
• Low turnover
• Rapid Growth
• Continuous Innovation
• A perception of excellence permeates the organization
• People are comfortable challenging existing processes, which creates buy in
• There is a team orientation and the success of the team overrides the success of the individuals
Organizations with strong leaders find that the person at the top sets the direction or the vision and the team propels the organization forward with their own initiative and energy. Put another way, highly successful organizations empower their people to show initiative and make things happen.
Pitfalls of Weak Leadership
The organizations that suffer under weak, inexperienced, or tyrannical leadership may experience success in small measures, but they also experience setbacks and delays, which prevent them from accomplishing major goals or building the momentum they need to catch and surpass their competition. A leader who lacks strength feels the need to force his team to deliver results. Some of them figure they can get results by intimidating and humiliating the people under their control. Their definition of leadership makes it difficult for them to relinquish control and empower their team to lead. Pitfalls of weak leadership include:
• High turnover
• Continuous in-fighting
• Slow Growth – numerous setbacks
• High cost of recruitment
• Lost clients – low instance of repeat business
A Case Study
I recall a number of situations where the person at the top felt he had to force his people to perform. In these situations, the senior management team was always looking over their shoulders. They wasted a lot of time and energy dealing with organizational politics, or updating their resumes. The energy they put into their business was out of fear as opposed to a true desire to create value for their clients. Frequently, in situations where the leader is weak or inexperienced, he fails to empower his team, which leads to frustration by high performers who will seek other opportunities where they can spread their wings and grow.
One of the bright spots in my career was spent working for a medium sized software company in Houston, Texas. From 1995 – 1998 we grew our professional services annual revenue from $12 million to $55 million and we grew the professional staff from 60 to 360 people. What I found to be different about this organization can be summed up in one word, empowerment . The people at the top of that organization set the rest of us loose to execute plans we had developed.
I worked for Hank Holland, who was the SVP of Sales and Services. Hank was a tough, no nonsense leader, but everybody knew that as long as you bought in to Hank’s vision and were performing, Hank was 100% supportive of your efforts. We did not live in fear that Hank was going to humiliate us in front of our peers, or attack us for not understanding what he was thinking.
The most valuable lessons coming out of this experience included the following:
1. Find, develop and empower leaders to drive the tactical aspects of your business. As the executive in charge, you should spend more time focusing on your longer- term strategies and less time dealing with tactical issues.
2. Recognize performance and give credit to those who perform. Frequent public recognition of those on your team who contribute to the success of the organization will build momentum and create loyalty.
3. Be open to new ideas even if they challenge the direction you are taking. By listening to your people, you will understand what is working and what adjustments need to be made. You are not only able to make mid-course corrections, but by showing a willingness to listen and make changes, you will create commitment.
When you have a “culture of leadership” you do not have to force people to achieve results, they will put pressure on you to think bigger.
Keith Johnston, the founder of True North, has spent his career in leadership positions and in developing leaders. Focused on improving organizations by developing people, he brings over 30 years of experience to the task of helping people and organizations on four continents achieve the results they desire.
Leading the development of a professional services organization for a mid-sized software company in Houston, Texas, Keith and his team were able to grow the business from 60 people and $12 million in revenue to 360 people and $55 million in approximately three years. This was accomplished despite resistance from the rest of the organization, and the fact that they were introducing a new and controversial business model into their market.
Keith combines his hands on experience with the best practices in people development to help his clients effectively lead themselves and their organizations to improve their results.
Keith received his Masters Degree in Business Administration from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and his BA in Economics from Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
Keith can be reached through his website; www.truleadership.com or at his office in British Columbia, Canada 250-550-3964.