An effective leader realizes that sustaining growth, or reigniting it, depends on the depth to which his or her people are committed. Successful, dedicated teams are bonded by more than their aspiration to achieve a shared goal.
These 3 leadership factors result from the awareness that your people are your most sustainable competitive advantage for driving growth.
- Purpose: Commitment cannot be compelled; it must be inspired. People must choose to invest discretionary effort above and beyond their workload, and that choice comes from their belief in the meaningfulness of their work. People who seek to commit, want to make a difference. They want to know how their efforts contribute to the success and value of the business. Leaders who articulate a Purpose that describes why the organization exists and how it makes a difference for its customers tap into this motivation. The resulting commitment empowers imagination and vision, enables the overcoming of obstacles, and provides the fuel that elevates performance and achieves goals.
- Principles: The people on committed teams know what to expect from each other because they have developed a set of core values that define how they will act in pursuit of their Purpose and goals. And they have specified behaviors for each value, grounding each in the practical functionality of every role in the organization. Principles build culture, guide decision-making and nurture commitment.
- Performance: Bonded teams share accountability to one another for more than the achievement of goals. They value the relationship they have built and want it to endure. The foundation of their relationship is the Purpose and Principles they share. Their performance is best measured by monitoring how they behave with one another and with those they lead in the pursuit of Purpose and goals. Their commitment is strengthened, as is the culture of their organization, by the challenges they’ve met and the collective stories they tell.
How does your organization or department make a difference?
How do expect your people to behave as they pursue Purpose and goals?
