| y"> | | | | their future. |
| Right about now, you've made the discovery that if | | | | The vision is now a source of magic - when people |
| you intend to push your company beyond its current | | | | see themselves living an inspiring future, they take |
| plateau, you will have to change the way you relate to | | | | action consistent with transforming that vision of the |
| your work. You have doubtlessly concluded this next | | | | future into a reality. Right now, in the present. People |
| level mandates you to let go of things like hiring, | | | | become self-inspiring when they own the vision. |
| product design, perhaps even day-to-day sales - many | | | | Depending on the size of your organization, |
| things you handled in the past - and focus yourself on | | | | one-on-ones, round table discussions, town-hall |
| your role as CEO. | | | | meetings, conference calls, satellite meetings, board |
| There are three stages to making the transition from | | | | meetings, staff meetings, company dinners or outings, |
| chief cook and bottle washer (CC&BW) to CEO | | | | off-sites, video and audio tapes, monographs, white |
| (source of the management and direction of the | | | | papers & newsletters may all be appropriate |
| business). | | | | ways to communicate your vision. |
| They are: | | | | Regardless of the particular venue, every time you get |
| - Understanding your highest value contribution to your | | | | people talking about "the vision" they are making it their |
| company and focusing on that role. | | | | own. |
| - Recognizing your position as a leader and owning the | | | | The CEO also communicates the vision to all outside |
| job. | | | | stakeholders - the Board, suppliers, customers or |
| - Delegating everything else, and holding others | | | | clients, investors, the media, even the government. |
| accountable. | | | | When the outside world actively participates in your |
| My last article, Time Well Spent, deals with transition | | | | company's future, many things which were once |
| one. This article will examine transition two - | | | | difficult become easy. |
| recognizing your position as leader and owning the job. | | | | Enable others to act to bring the vision into reality |
| Next month I will cover the third transition, Giving it all | | | | It is not enough to simply share the vision. The CEO/ |
| away. | | | | leader provides opportunities for people to act to |
| As CEO of your company - you are no longer the | | | | realize the vision. How do you do that? |
| "head of everything". It is up to you to provide | | | | First off, have people spend 100% of their time on |
| leadership. That's the job. No ifs, ands, or buts. The | | | | work that is aligned with the company vision. Ask the |
| sooner you recognize it the better. Being the leader | | | | question, "Is this or that project moving us toward our |
| entails certain responsibilities which cannot, under any | | | | designated future?" If not, kill it - immediately. |
| circumstances, be delegated. | | | | Encourage C.R.I.B.: |
| By the way, much has been written about the qualities | | | | - Creativity - Rarely will same-old thinking foster a |
| of leadership. But leadership is not about qualities, such | | | | bright new future. Get your organization looking outside |
| as "strength of character" or "integrity". While those | | | | the box. What new approaches can you take? What |
| things are useful, if you aren't already imbued with "a | | | | new technology can you apply? |
| winning personality", it can take half a lifetime to | | | | - Risk taking - Don't punish failure. Silicon Valley venture |
| develop one. | | | | capitalists actually reward failure. A failed business |
| The core responsibilities of corporate leadership - | | | | venture is regarded as a badge of courage and a sign |
| which you cannot delegate - include: | | | | of experience and maturity. |
| - Owning the vision and the strategy to realize the | | | | - Initiative - Give people permission to do things and |
| vision; | | | | launch projects on their own. If you discover someone |
| - Communicating the vision to insiders and outsiders; | | | | working on something promising, make sure they get |
| - Enabling others to act to realize the vision; | | | | the right resources and funding - and make a big deal |
| - Developing new leaders. | | | | out of it. |
| - Owning the Vision | | | | - Breaking with tradition. Just because you did it 'that |
| Vision is our concept of the future of our business. | | | | way' in the past... |
| Owing to a quirk of human cognitive physiology, most | | | | Eliminate the kind of thinking which says: "We don't |
| of us experience our mental representations as | | | | have the time, or the money, or the resources, to do..." |
| images. When we think, or imagine, or conceive, what | | | | Cultivate a climate where people say "How can we..." |
| the future will be like, we tend to see it. Hence "vision". | | | | instead of "Can we..." or "We can't, because..." This |
| Vision is simply how we perceive and experience the | | | | simple change fosters C.R.I.B. |
| future of our company right now, in the present. We | | | | Finally, ask the question, "What is in the way of |
| "see" the company being a particular way - as | | | | committed action?" |
| front-runners in our industry, as serving a particular | | | | Develop new leaders. |
| class of customers, or perhaps as being located | | | | In some branches of the military, a senior officer is |
| internationally, or generating a certain level of revenues, | | | | measured by the quality of the junior officers for |
| or even as causing breakthroughs for humanity. | | | | whom he is responsible. In an entrepreneurial company, |
| Another way to describe the vision is to call it "The | | | | you will be ultimately successful to the degree you |
| Future". | | | | cultivate the leaders who follow you. |
| A powerfully held and shared vision energizes and | | | | Remember, leadership is not a set of attributes, but a |
| inspires people. By giving them a sense of their future - | | | | set of actions to take. Great leadership ability can |
| it provides a "place to go" or a purpose. It draws | | | | develop through practice. If your company embraces |
| people forward like iron filings to a magnet. Vision is the | | | | C.R.I.B., people will naturally develop the skills of leading. |
| vital catalyst that multiplies the efforts people put into | | | | Look at your development teams as a training camp |
| their work, and intensifies/magnifies/ augments/ | | | | for leaders. Rotate people through key positions. |
| expands/enlarges the effect or those efforts. | | | | Change the rules from time to time. Keep projects a |
| It doesn't matter where the vision came from. It could | | | | little short of resources to encourage flexibility and |
| be have been a brainstorm between three friends | | | | ingenuity. Ask managers to make decisions on the |
| over a cup of coffee. It could have been formed in a | | | | spot. |
| strategy seminar, or at a board meeting. It could have | | | | Replace yourself in as many critical areas as possible. |
| washed over you in the shower one morning or during | | | | Push decision making further down your organization, |
| the commute home one evening. | | | | and finally, let go! |
| Regardless of the source - the CEO/Leader is the | | | | Leadership is the ruby which transforms the scattered |
| keeper of the vision, the "owner" of the vision. No one | | | | light of your organization into a focused, coherent laser |
| else in your company can play this role. Embrace the | | | | beam, aimed - with tremendous power - in the |
| vision and make it yours. Have this vision be your | | | | direction of your declared future. |
| animating principal. | | | | By forging a vision, promoting it relentlessly, enabling |
| Your vision will most likely include elements of product | | | | your people to act to bring that vision into reality, and |
| vision, company vision, and industry vision. | | | | developing you new leaders to replace you, you |
| Communicating the Vision | | | | create great leverage. |
| Next, the CEO/Leader's job is to communicate the | | | | As Archimedes reportedly said, "Give me a lever long |
| vision and help people take it on as their own. By | | | | enough and I will move the earth." Leadership, applied |
| successfully transforming your vision into a shared | | | | to your business, is the ultimate leverage. |
| vision, you empower your employees - they see | | | | © Copyright 2004 Quantum Growth Coaching. |
| themselves inside of it, to see the future described as | | | | |