Effective Leadership: Five Realities
Effective leaders can only be classified as successful when the people entrusted to their care freely accept and wholeheartedly commit to giving their best efforts—every day—to both the leader and the company.
However, acceptance does not guarantee long-term or even short-term commitment. After initially accepting a position, an employee may choose to decline this invitation early on in their tenure. In other words, the organizational chart is simply a soft or hard piece of paper that lists who holds company-given authority (within certain parameters) to assign tasks and projects to achieve organizational goals.
So, what are the five realities, and what do they signify? These realities represent the pathway to success for all parties involved, a success that must be clearly defined, articulated, and shared.
Reality #1: Vision & Mission
Stated in a way that resonates with the masses
Human beings have a strong need and desire to know: Where are we going? Why are we going? How are we going? Before they can consciously or subconsciously decide to commit to a direction, they need to understand the “where”, “why" and "how."
Reality #2: Values & Principles
Now knowing our "where, why, and how" engaging on a human level with all potential candidates is critical. This preparation helps us address a key factor that directly impacts our success rate: our values and the principles by which we live them out. Put another way, what is the expected behavior from every employee as we move toward our goals? Merely discussing values and principles is akin to reciting a beautiful poem to someone interested, but not fully invested. While they may remember some lines or the poem’s beauty, they are unlikely to recall it in full when needed.
Values and principles are formal behavioral expectations. When broadly and consistently lived—if not perfectly—they define how we conduct our work. For example: ethics govern how we work, and those principles guide us through every stage of our journey.
Reality #3: The Right People in the Right Roles
Matching skills and motivations to the job
Selection is paramount (ask any sports team, performing arts company, non-profit organization, and of course including for-profit business). When selecting employees at any level, there must be a clear story to tell: a vision and mission to share, and appropriate questions to determine who aligns with these ideals.
Here, a well-crafted, comprehensive job description becomes crucial. This upfront effort saves immeasurable time in the future by helping to assess not only a candidate's competence and/or aptitude but also their values and beliefs. Do they align with the organization’s principles?
As Collins highlights in his best-selling book Good to Great, many companies make the mistake of hiring based on stronger technical skills alone, overlooking candidates who are a better fit in terms of values and principles—even when those candidates possess only the basic technical skills, but a strong desire to learn. This might seem counterintuitive, but the data strongly supports the notion that candidates who align with company values outperform those who do not.
Values and principles should not ever be optional. They are integral to success, in both prosperous times and during challenges. A company cannot have integrity if it chooses to ignore its own values.
Reality #4: Goals, Communication, Strategy, and Adaptation
Once we’ve established the "where," "why," and "who," it’s time to plan, organize, execute, measure, assess, and adapt to changing internal and external dynamics. This is where we define our goals, write them down where we can all see them, and engage in honest discussions about their meaning, timelines, resources, and our individual roles.
This initial dialogue should never be rushed, even if the leader feels confident and prepared. The leader must meet the team where they truly are—not where the leader wishes them to be. When things change—whether the change is internally or externally driven—leaders must stand firm, look their teams in the eyes, and communicate honestly and respectfully. This includes explaining not just the "what," but also the "why," "how," and "who" behind the change.
Adapting to change requires strong communication and active listening. This isn’t just about the subordinates listening to their leaders; it’s about leaders listening to their teams.
Reality #5: Leadership of People
Not leadership of robots, processes, or results
The truth is that when one says “yes” to a company after being offered a position, we enter into a mutual agreement to work together. Even at the highest level, all employees—including CEOs—have leaders. Unfortunately, too many still refer to their leaders as "bosses," which often aligns more closely with the reality of the situation.
Employees have expectations of their leaders. At a fundamental level, these expectations fall into the following order:
- See me as a human being—someone working for a living, coming in each day to give my best to help our company succeed. Please don’t treat me as a mere "means to your end." Take time to get to know me beyond just business. Let’s create an authentic relationship built on mutual respect.
- Ensure clarity in my roles, responsibilities, and accountability—Help me understand my duties clearly, and allow me the opportunity to discuss them honestly with you.
- Partner with me in setting behavioral expectations—This goes beyond company values and principles. Share your expectations for me, and allow me to express my expectations of you as well, so we can strengthen our communication and our relationship.
- Provide the necessary ongoing direction, support, tools, and coaching—Empower me to consistently use my skills to produce great outcomes for our teams, company, and myself.
- Be the leader who inspires others to be their best—Support people when they struggle, but don’t take credit for their success. Appropriately share credit where it is due and use both your emotional intelligence and business acumen to lead through others—not just by your own intellect. Realize that you are part of a team: the head of the team, but likely not the heart. Seek success with all, even your poorest-performing employees.
Final Thoughts
Effective leadership is a dynamic blend of understanding human needs, fostering alignment, clear communication, and mutual respect. By adhering to these five key realities, leaders can set the stage for long-term success for both themselves and the people they lead.
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