It can be pretty aggravating being the leader. But what if…

What if leadership guru Patrick Lencioni’s assertion is true? He said, “If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.” (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni).

When reading a quote like the one above there are a number of reactions that can follow. Some of you thought, “What? Are you kidding? That’s impossible.” Others have concluded, “Yes! We could do that.”

Whatever your reaction was on that spectrum of pessimism to optimism, the question remains. What would happen if you began moving your organization or team in that direction…even if it was only slowly moving toward that place of a uniform stroke? Think about the tangible and intangible benefits to your employees, customers, suppliers and community.

As I look forward to the next few months of working with my clients I realized that I will be in the midst of strategic planning with quite a number of them.

Over the years I have come to a more and more firm belief in Mr. Lencioni’s statement and am more and more convinced that creating organizational clarity is absolutely paramount. The reason? Because of the cost of organizational confusion. It is staggering to think about and painful to watch.

And, you are the one responsible for creating clarity. Here are four questions you should ask yourself, as the leader, to create the kind of organizational clarity that will lead your company forward in a more unified rhythm.

THE BIG QUESTIONS

These questions are critical, because if you’re not clear about these things, how will anyone else be?

1. Why does my organization exist? What is your purpose, your cause, or your passion? What gets you out of bed in the morning with a sense of anticipation and enthusiasm? If you had to boil it down to one sentence, what would you say?

Let me encourage you not to make the answer to this question about money, unless deep down that’s really what it is. For most people it’s something more than that. Even when it comes to for-profit companies I have rarely found one where the “bottom line” is ultimately the bottom line.

The more clearly you define the cause for which you are fighting, the more effective you will be at enlisting an army of those who are willing to fight with you.

2. Who do I want to serve or impact and how? You can’t serve everyone. Who is it that you have the deepest desire to affect? Whose lives do you want to be different because you and your team were here? When you think about why you exist, who are the people that most quickly come to mind?

This may take time, and there may be iterations involved. Take my company for example. When I first started I wanted to work primarily with corporate executives of large companies.

Over time I have gravitated toward the CEO’s and other senior leaders of small businesses. I love it. I can’t imagine not working with these people. 

Now I see that an even more important subset of that group is those who share my passion for creating other leaders. I put it this way…I want to create and pour into multiplying leaders. It’s so exciting and energizing it’s hard for me to express in words.

3. What values, attitudes and behaviors are non-negotiable for me? Years ago I arrived at the conclusion that it was much more important to hire for attitude and character and train for skills. The whole idea of team chemistry and its contribution to success became very, very clear to me.

When you consider that you’re going to spend 40-60 of your waking hours with these people, shouldn’t they be people you like and enjoy being with? By that I certainly don’t mean they need to be exactly like you in personality. Actually, they shouldn’t all be. But, there should be a sharing of some deeply held values and agreement around how you are going to behave together.

You want your team members reflecting your values to your customers, suppliers, and the community. This kind of alignment of spirit creates a tremendous amount of synergy. Without it there’s a lot of dissonance.

4. Where do I want my organization to be 10 years from now? With a better idea of why the organization exists and who you’re trying to impact and how, it is a bit easier to put your finger on where you want to wind up.

Painting a clear picture of the desired future is one of your most important roles as a leader. People need to know what they are aiming for. If this is where you are starting I would like to make the following suggestions:

• Don’t do this alone. Enlist the support of other key leaders to create a shared vision.
• Be as vivid about the desired outcome as you can. Word pictures and stories are two effective tools. If you need help, get it.
• Make sure you don’t think only in terms of dollars and cents. Think about your values and key relationships, and what success looks like in those terms.

THE NEXT HURDLE

Remember, just because you are clear on these things does not mean that anyone else is. Everyone has their own answers to the questions, so if you’re not leading from the front and communicating clearly, they will walk to beat of their own drum.

You’ve got to write the story and make it plain, otherwise everyone will write their own. This is one of the most significant contributors to people rowing in different directions.

Here are some tips related to communicating organizational clarity:

• Communicate your vision simply. Don’t make it complicated. Be succinct.
• Communicate your vision clearly. Be vivid. Use word pictures, stories and visuals to illustrate.
• Communicate the vision regularly. Talk about it often. Find ways to work it into everyday conversations with your team.
• Communicate the vision through multiple mediums. People need to hear it and see it in various ways – email, social media, memos, posters, meeting agendas, 1:1 conversations.

Last but not least, you need to live it. You need to model it for everyone else. You will never do it perfectly, but you must do it consistently.

Question: If you could commission an artist to paint a large canvass of your 10 year vision, what would be some of the most important pieces for you? Who would be in the picture and how would their lives be different because of you? Share your answer in the Comment Section.

Seize the day!