In late December and early January, I did a series of posts on what leaders need to do to help the people they lead to succeed. These tips were related to one of the points I make in my book 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations: create a committed and engaged workforce.
Developing and communicating a clarity of purpose and direction is another of the 4 Secrets. Organizational values are helpful in communicating clarity of purpose. Values guide decision making. They help people figure out what to do in ambiguous situations.
In this post, I will concentrate on how great leaders use values to communicate their organizations' clarity of purpose.
Lead by becoming a role model for your organization’s values with the people you lead.
Great leaders practice values driven leadership by becoming a role model for their organization’s values. “Role model”, you say. “That’s Mom and apple pie stuff. Everyone tells you to be a role model, no one tells you how.”
Great leaders act as role models for their organization’s values. They set the proper example. They are committed to their organization’s values, and they practice them all the time, without exception. The people they lead can count on this.
Great leaders know that bringing values to life is a behavioral issue. They put their focus on what they do, day in and day out. Great leaders realize that to be a values role model, they need to pay attention to everything they do – because everything a leader does, counts.
In order to become an exceptional values role model, great leaders focus on the follwing four items.
- How they spend their time.
- Where they go.
- What they say.
- How they deal with problems and crises.
In this post, I’d like to focus on how great leaders use what they say to become a role model for their organization’s values.
Great leaders know that they say things to the people they lead in a number of different ways and forums. Leaders say things in one on one discussions with the people they lead. Leaders say things in written communications to the people they lead– both hard copy and e mail. Leaders say things when they post items on a bulletin board to be read by the people they lead. Leaders say things when they hold meetings with the people they lead. Great leaders know that leaders say things even whey they say nothing at all. It’s all about leadership communication – and as the saying goes: “leaders, can’t not communicate.
Great leaders know that whatever they say (or don’t say) speaks volumes about their view on their organization’s values. For example, great leaders know that if their organization says it values innovation and creativity, leaders need to ask the people they lead to come up with new, different and better ways of doing things. When leaders do this, they are acting as a role model for their organization’s values. When leaders fail to do this, they are condoning the status quo for the people they lead.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.CareerSuperStar.com for common sense advice on becoming the life and career star you are meant to be.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.
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