Now more than ever our country, our institutions and our communities yearn for exceptional leadership. Whether it’s the failing banking system, the rising cost of health care, shrinking state budgets or the fact that we are fighting two wars, the solutions we seek will require acts of leadership from many.
This article presents a very pragmatic way to think about leadership that can empower many to lead. Everything we read in the popular press tells us that exceptional leaders are in short supply. A way to address this shortage is to have a clear picture of what we need and expect from our leaders. This will make hiring leaders easier and will also provide a road map for developing future leaders. With this as our guide, we may actually find there are more leaders among us than we realize!
To understand what it means to be a leader, it helps to define the specific tasks, or the “work” required to be successful as a leader. The “work” associated with being an effective leader can be referred to as the “7 C’s. The 7 C’s are highly interrelated and provide great insight into how effective leaders spend their time and attention.
- Establishing Clarity
- Gaining Commitment
- Ensuring Coordination
- Building Capacity
- Facilitating Change
- Demonstrating Confidence
- Applying Competence
Establish Clarity
It is often the lack of clarity in many endeavors that leads to unfulfilled outcomes and disappointing results. In terms of being a leader, establishing clarity applies to 3 main areas: Clarity of Purpose and Vision, Values and Goals.
Clarity of Purpose
Clarity of purpose is typically part of an overall strategy. An effective leader crafts a clear statement of purpose that defines a reason for existence that goes far beyond self interest or economic gain. It is a statement that speaks to a higher level calling and comes from the heart, not the head. It is a statement that resonates with customers and consumers and motivates employees to excel.
Best Hope or Vision
Closely tied to clarity of purpose is this notion of best hope or vision. A vision is a picture of the purpose accomplished. It can be a statement, a picture, a metaphor that captures the heart in such a way that it builds commitment and excitement. While clarity of purpose must be determined up front, a vision of greatness can come to us at anytime. When it does, the vision becomes the guiding light that propels people to accomplish what they never thought possible. Great leaders can create and describe a vision of greatness that is both memorable and impactful.
Guiding Tenets or Values
Another aspect of clarity deals with values or guiding tenets of behavior. A clear statement of guiding tenets sets expectations for acceptable behavior and describes the experience anyone who comes in contact with the organization can expect. More than motherhood and apple pie, guiding tenets must be tied to what is necessary to deliver on the promise stated in the purpose.
Clear Outcomes
The third aspect of clarity is the leader’s ability to set clear goals that must accomplished in both the short and long term. There should be no mystery about how the organization defines success. In addition, everyone needs a set of measurable objectives that are linked to the higher level outcomes. Outcomes by definition must be specific, time bounded, observable, realistic and measurable.
Gain Commitment
Once there is clarity, the challenge facing all leaders is how to build commitment. Commitment cannot be legislated if what you seek is intellectual and emotional engagement.
Being Informed
Commitment is about choice and choice can only be exercised when people are fully informed about what they are choosing. Asking for and expecting commitment when employees feel left in the dark is wishful thinking at best. The more people know and understand, the more they are willing to invest. Effective leaders explain the “why” behind important choices so people can filter them against their own values and priorities. Only then will employees make an emotional commitment and do everything in their power to help the organization succeed. This is why understanding the choices an organization makes and having the chance to ask questions is so important. How can I commit to something I don’t understand?
Involvement
One’s commitment is also a function of involvement. Involvement can be giving people the opportunity to listen and to ask questions. People need this level of understanding to jump in with both feet. Involvement can also mean the opportunity to determine “how” a task or assignment will be completed. The “what” we work on will often come from above. Giving others the opportunity to exercise their judgment and expertise to determine “how” a task is accomplished significantly increases their commitment to the outcome.
Making a difference
Meaningful commitment is also a function of seeing and understanding how one’s contribution makes a meaningful difference. This means people have a line of sight that allows them to see the final outcome of their effort. This might be data on sales, cost, customer satisfaction or quality. It might even be the chance to interact with customers so they can hear directly how what they do matters. If the mission is expressed in a compelling way and people can see how their efforts contribute, you will gain their commitment.
Skin in the game
Deep emotional commitment occurs when people have something at stake – some form of personal gain or loss. It could be monetary or it could simply be pride or a need to prove oneself. The key is finding out what matters and to tap into that source of energy. It’s hard to achieve exceptional performance when the only carrot is continued employment.
Ensure Coordination
Coordination is about getting key stakeholders all pulling in the same direction. Effective leaders understand the systemic nature of organizations and know how to leverage their full potential.
Alignment
Coordination deals with the question of “alignment.” In other words, how do you get every aspect of an organization working towards the same outcome? According to management consultant Ed Lawler, alignment means that – strategy, work methods, the organization structure, systems, the skills and knowledge people possess and the reward system – reinforce the behaviors required to achieve the ultimate purpose.
Hand offs
Coordination inside an organization is all about “hand offs.” So much of what occurs within an organization occurs between different functions, levels, geographies, product lines etc. In order to be successful nothing must fall through the cracks. This is the kind of coordination one sees on a relay team as they pass the baton from one runner to the next. To do this successfully requires seamless transitions and perfect execution. Organizations are much the same. When every aspect of an organization is operating at its highest level of performance and is totally aligned, great things happen.
Build Capacity
Building capacity is how you create the capability to deliver results on a sustained basis. This notion of Capacity comes from the late Joel Henning and Jim Meselko.
Business Literacy
The first aspect of capacity is business literacy. In order for people to effectively participate in the business process they must understand the business and industry in which they are working. It is this knowledge that facilitates effective decision making and problem solving. It also helps people understand the reasoning behind decisions or actions that otherwise may not make sense.
Access to information
Having access to information and resources is the second aspect of building capacity. Access to information allows people to exercise their expertise and be self-directed. When people have access to information and resources, they can respond quickly and effectively when dealing with customers and consumers. It also facilitates rapid improvements without multiple levels of approval.
Having Choice
The third aspect of building capacity is the notion of choice. Choice means having the authority to make decisions and exercise power where and when it makes sense. It flows naturally from understanding the business and having access to the information and resources needed to make good decisions. Choice also means being able to say no when saying no is the right course of action.
Choosing Accountability
The idea of choosing accountability as opposed to being held accountable is the difference between commitment and compliance. Effective leaders engage people in conversations about the kind of contribution they would like to make and agree on measures of success. Partnering with people and treating them as responsible adults, results in a high degree of commitment to shared outcomes.
Being Competent
And finally, the last aspect of building capacity is ensuring people are fully competent in order to succeed on the job. When we talk about competence, we are talking about the skills, knowledge and aptitudes required by a given position or profession. Competence develops over time and must be maintained in order to be successful throughout one’s career.
The elements associated with building capacity are what leaders consider the currency to their success. The leader can succeed only if the entire team succeeds so building capacity is a primary focus for effective leaders.
Facilitate Change
Effective leaders understand the dynamics associated with change and how to manage change to achieve their desired outcomes.
Building alliances and reducing resistance
Much has been written and learned about managing change. Effective leaders understand how to use the science of change management in a way that builds support and reduces resistance. For example, Beckhard’s use of “Commitment Planning” and “Responsibility Charting” are both methods commonly used to build support for change efforts. Likewise, Bridges has clearly documented the emotional process associated with “Transitions” and helping people facilitate “endings” is often necessary for people to let go and move forward. Robert Jacobs incorporates the change formula Dissatisfaction X Vision X First Steps > Resistance as a way to plan change efforts in his work with large-scale change initiatives.
Legislating change isn’t enough if we hope to build organizations where people are deeply and emotionally committed to the outcomes. Sure, there are situations where a completely directive, command and control approach is the most appropriate. The danger is we begin to see every situation as requiring this approach and fail to see other options. It’s not surprising that the response one commonly hears to other options is that we don’t have time. There are times when that may be true, however there are other examples where actually going a little slower up front leads to even quicker and better results in the end.
Demonstrate Confidence
Effective leaders demonstrate a confidence in themselves which gets expressed as respect for those around them. This is based on a set of beliefs and assumptions about people and organizations that are apparent in all of their interactions.
A Belief in People
One aspect of this confidence comes from a deeply held “Belief in People.” Effective leaders operate under the belief that people want and are capable of doing a good job. They express confidence in others and believe that people will always do their best.
Assume Good Will
Effective leaders also have a deeply held belief that people don’t deliberately make mistakes. This dramatically changes how leaders approach people when there are problems. Leaders don’t look for someone to blame. They recognize the complex and highly interdependent nature of most organizations and simply believe that people are doing their best and assume good intentions. Effective leaders are not insecure about their own standing in the organization and hence don’t look for a scapegoat. The result is less defensiveness, less need to cover up and protect. Ultimately, this creates open and honest conversation leading to better and quicker outcomes.
Courage
Effective leaders are willing to make unpopular choices. They are willing to take actions which others may not agree. Driven by either experience and/or deeply held beliefs in what they believe to be right, the truly effective leader will act with courage when others are paralyzed by indecision or looking for the path of least resistance. In this respect great leaders are not always liked or appreciated. It is often hindsight that shows us how an act of leadership facilitated progress and paved the way for others to follow.
Integrity
Acting with integrity is at the core of an effective leader’s belief system. It is a consistency that enables others to trust and believe what the leader says to be true. Effective leaders treat people as adults and allow them to see things as they are, as opposed to what is politically correct. Integrity means doing what you say, being honest and following through when you make a commitment.
Enthusiasm
Effective leaders infuse those around them with a sense of excitement and possibility. They are upbeat and use every opportunity, every interaction to communicate and display their own excitement about the enterprise and its purpose and vision.
Apply Competence
Competence as described here is not usually considered in discussions of leadership. Competence is the application of whatever technical or business skills are necessary to achieve results.
Context
Effective leaders bring or quickly acquire business, technical or industry knowledge that enables them to be effective. It’s common in the most popular literature to only consider the softer sides of leadership. Yet without the necessary competence, the package is incomplete. Whether it is a knowledge of Sales, Marketing, Technology, Manufacturing, Business Development, or Media, Food Processing or Electronics, business and industry knowledge and experience is needed to implement the other C’s effectively. Effective leaders surround themselves with the content experts they need to succeed. They look for the best and the brightest and enough diversity to avoid group think and a thorough vetting of the issues.
The Fuel
Highly effective leaders also have a passion for results. The application of the first 6 C’s provides them with the organizational strength and capability to win in the marketplace. This drive for results is fuel that propels leaders to put in the time and effort needed to achieve their goals.
Summary
The work associated with being an effective leader can be daunting. Being a leader is a demanding role that requires hard work and sacrifice. Stepping into a leadership role is a choice one should make with eyes wide open. Those who have already made this choice can use the 7 C’s to assess their own performance and identify areas to improve upon. Anyone in the position of needing to hire a leader can use the 7 C’s to assess potential and make a more informed decision. In either case, the 7 C’s outline a way of behaving that can lead us to the outcomes we hope to achieve.