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Tag: Leadership Accountability

  • 7 Traits Leaders Need to Attain to Visionary Leadership | Entrepreneur

    7 Traits Leaders Need to Attain to Visionary Leadership | Entrepreneur


    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Thomas Jefferson had a bold vision as the United States broke away from British rule. Consider his letter to John Adams in 1823, when he said, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Jefferson was contemplative and progressive in emphasizing his dream of a different America. He was a visionary.

    Many others have failed in dogmatic pragmatism. George H. W. Bush had several leadership qualities, such as humility and integrity, but Bush scholars universally agree that he lacked vision. His perspective on the United States was similar to Blockbuster and Kodak: let’s double down on our history and what’s worked in the past.

    Bush is even known for saying that he doesn’t understand “that vision thing.” In his inaugural address, he said there’s no need for the country to “invent a system by which to live.” All we need to do is “act on what we know.”

    There’s utility in traditional thinking, but it becomes a strength overused when you can’t do the other side of the coin — vision. Bush was a one-term president, losing to a relatively unknown Bill Clinton because he lacked an inspirational message.

    So, how can CEOs create a vision so powerful that it ignites organizational transformation?

    Related: Are You a Visionary Leader? Here are 12 Ways to Cultivate and Enhance Your Leadership Vision

    1. Vision from the heart

    In Nietzsche’s words, “Only as an aesthetic phenomenon are life and the world justified eternally.” A vision should only affect us in the way art can, revitalizing the spirit and the selves’ experience, as opposed to the task-oriented and linear nature of day-to-day goals. The executive’s vision is an aesthetic, imaginative idealization that gives meaning to the organization, like an artist moving from a blank canvas to what could be.

    2. Align with the organization’s values

    Unlike strategic objectives, which are rationally derived, visions are values-laden. They give meaning through an ideological goal. Since they are about what should be, they are, by definition, an expression of values and corporate identity.

    Thus, effective CEOs keep the vision malleable in relation to the business landscape but never change the values underneath. Not only that, but their personal values align with the organization and its vision — one reason for doing a values assessment in CEO succession.

    Related: How Great Leaders Communicate Their Vision

    3. Create the vision with others

    The best CEOs have a clear vision that’s tied to their values. It isn’t a fully democratic process because the CEO must believe passionately in it. However, it’s essential that the vision is not unilaterally imposed but rather distilled from the contributions of leaders throughout the organization. The first reason is buy-in from everyone else. The entire company needs to feel it in the heart, too. The second reason is that the organization existed before the CEO and will after the CEO, so the vision must align with the entire organization for continuity.

    Related: How to Engage Employees Through Your Company Vision Statement

    4. Make it valuable to all stakeholders

    Some of the most catastrophic events in history have been the result of a psychopath’s vision. Visions can be powerful, influential and morally corrupt — all at the same time. Conversely, real leaders create a vision that benefits the entire ecosystem, where the rising tide lifts all boats and makes the world a better place. Robert House, from the University of Pennsylvania, defined a greater good vision as “an unconscious motive to use social influence, or to satisfy the power need, in socially desirable ways, for the betterment of the collective rather than for personal self-interest.” This is using the will to power for the betterment of humanity, to shape the future, rather than as a source of ruthless evildoing.

    5. Use the vision to galvanize change

    In academia, there’s a close relationship between visionary and charismatic leadership. Consider House’s Theory of Charismatic Leadership, Bass’ Transformational Leadership Theory, Conger and Kanungo’s Theory of Charismatic Leadership, and Sashkin’s Visionary Leadership Theory. They all emphasize how the most effective visions challenge the status quo and inspire evolution. The CEO evaluates the organization and its context, such as its core competencies and competitors, and through vivid mental imagery, paints a picture of the future.

    Since vision is related to influence and change, it’s easy to understand how Kay Whitmore from Kodak and George H. W. Bush had ineffective visions. They were preventative instead of future-oriented and, therefore, neglected to become bigger, faster, stronger, and even something brand new. They were demotivating instead of galvanizing and failed to energize the organization.

    Related: What Is Transactional Leadership and How Does It Work?

    6. Ensure it’s believable

    Visionary leaders are often bold and risk-taking, as well as imaginative. Like a psychic in Vegas, they’re bold enough to think they can see the future and inventive enough to dream up a new reality that challenges today. With this psychology, the strength overused is that visionary CEOs are often alienated from reality. Conversely, the most effective CEOs are versatile enough to, as inherent in Marshall Sashkin’s theory, balance vision with operational actions. Their visions are inventive, aesthetic, imaginative, bold, and innovative but believable and achievable.

    7. Use the vision for strategic decisions

    Another benefit of vision, besides influence, is that it frames consequential strategic decisions. At Netflix, Reed Hastings could have charged ahead with being the number one DVD-by-mail company in the United States. But, as explained in the book CEO Excellence, the new direction was supported by a vision of transformation. “The big strategic moves that followed made sense in ways they would never have otherwise: moving into video streaming, betting on the cloud, creating Netflix originals, driving exponential globalization, and so on.” The vision justified a series of innovations, decisions, and where the company should focus its limited time and resources.

    In all, the CEO’s highest duty is breathing life into the organization, giving it meaning and harnessing the social forces toward a worthwhile future. Only as an aesthetic phenomenon, not one of logic, power, and control, is an organization’s existence authentic and fully realized. Art reflects life, not just beauty, and an organization’s vision reflects its identity and fulfills its purpose, without which it is lifeless.



    Derek Lusk

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  • 8 Ways to Become the Exceptional Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    8 Ways to Become the Exceptional Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Some people may have natural leadership abilities, but the hard work combined with that ability creates a true leader. Moreover, good leaders who are willing to do the work of continuous improvement can learn to become great leaders.

    Here are eight skills that can get you there:

    1. Practice self-awareness

    Awareness of oneself is how an individual consciously knows and understands their character, feelings, motives and desires. Through self-awareness, leaders can inspect and improve their behavioral patterns and, as a result, their contributions to successful outcomes. In addition, a high level of self-awareness opens the door to ongoing self-improvement.

    Related: Why a Self-Aware Leader Is a Good Leader

    2. Look past yourself

    The key to helping senior leaders become great is teaching them to look beyond immediate outcomes. In doing so, they become adept at seeing how their decisions and actions will play out in the next two fiscal quarters, at the end of the year, at the end of the next year, and beyond. Good leaders play checkers; great leaders play chess.

    Related: 9 Reasons Humility Is the Key Ingredient to Exceptional Leadership

    3. Embrace humility

    You are not the only one with great ideas. This means leaders must take an honest view of their own importance, which often requires an outside perspective to achieve it. It also means being humble enough to listen to and act on valid feedback, regardless of who offers it. It’s great when someone can offer truthful feedback in a friendly, constructive way. But even if the delivery is less than cordial, resist the temptation to “get them back.” Instead, focus solely on the core of the message, not the delivery,

    4. Maintain a beneficial schedule

    A beneficial schedule enables leaders to do their best thinking consistently. It requires the right amount of rest and time away from work — even thinking about it. It also means incorporating whatever is needed for a healthy body, mind and spirit, since they all work together.

    There are two specific benefits of keeping a beneficial schedule:

    • It fosters strategic and creative thinking. You can’t lead an organization if you don’t look ahead at different time horizons and think strategically about them. This is where creative thinking happens. Getting into that z one requires you to be physically, mentally and spiritually best.
    • It models healthy work-life balance. Many leaders look to the boss for how long they will work each day, when to begin work, etc. If you respond to emails over the weekend, everyone will think it’s the norm. The brain needs to rest and rejuvenate; working or thinking about work 24/7 is the exact opposite.

    5. Learn impulse control

    The ability to hit the pause button on emotion-driven impulses allows you to truly hear and digest what is being communicated by another person or within a group, respond with reason and intention, and logically document shared thoughts for further analysis. This skill enables you to think more rationally and deeply and consider all ideas – or combinations – to devise the optimal plan for achieving the best outcome. It also requires you to set your ego aside and really understand that finding the best solution is all that’s important.

    6. Meet people where they are

    Learning to listen and seeking to understand are common characteristics in all great leaders. The trick is lowering your own filters so you can stop making assumptions based on your perspective. A good coach can help you do this and provide tools to hone inquiry skills so you can ask great questions at the right times to bring others along — the kind of questions that don’t simply elicit information but provide a window into what makes that person tick.

    Related: The 6 Steps From Startup to Thriving Company Culture

    7. Speak kind truths and hear them

    Kind truths are important building blocks of trust in strong working relationships, which are essential to being a great leader. You can’t do everything yourself and be a great leader; you must achieve through others via collaboration and influence. How do you influence? By building trust.

    Examples of kind truths:

    • Call out the obvious. Call out the elephant in the room. Everyone already sees it, anyway.
    • Give direct feedback in a kind way. Refer to the action, not the person, avoiding “shame” language” – when the word “you” is used along with “should” in the past tense, i.e., “You should have known better.”
    • Speak clearly. Often, we try to soften our feedback, not wanting to hurt the other person. However, this makes the feedback muddled and unclear; kind truths are clear.
    • Invite and receive direct feedback. Most people are afraid to tell the boss where they can improve. Instead, ask them, “What I hear you not saying is…do you feel like this is true?” Say it in a non-confrontational, inquisitive way; you will be shocked when they say, “Yes, wow, that’s right.” The key is to do something about it then.
    • Act on the feedback. When someone gives you feedback, mirror it back, essentially asking what change they’d like to see. You can then speak about its plausibility and shape it to pinpoint exactly what needs to change or improve. Then, commit to doing it, with a date when you will check back with them on the changes they have seen. Then, set up whatever system works for you to make this behavioral change rapidly and permanently.

    8. Adopt reciprocity

    Reciprocity is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. You can’t be a truly great leader if you do not give to others for their benefit. They are always giving to you; the higher your role, the more they are giving. Give back to them; give to everyone. All the great and successful leaders of our time did more than just take every beneficial thing that was given to them; rather, they gave at least as much, if not more, than they took.

    Karen Brown

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  • Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

    Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Accountability is a remarkably dynamic word and so much more than a simple promise to perform. While the concept is rooted in responsibilities, the term also implies continuous action and a healthy system of checks and balances. At its core, accountability is about showing up, claiming ownership of a task, and then accomplishing the things you have committed. And everyone in your organization should do the same – because accountability is not a solo act. Accountability is the kinetic energy that fuels every successful organization.

    Your own accountability as a business owner is a gimmie; as the leader of your company, your word is your bond. And there are also huge benefits in creating a culture of accountability throughout your organization.

    You want employees to be answerable for their responsibilities. You want your team to work toward company goals, maintain certain metrics and meet their deadlines. While these accountabilities might seem rudimentary, you might be surprised how many businesses struggle with them.

    I believe most employees want to do a good job and try hard to be accountable. If they fall short, a glitch in communication is usually at the heart of the problem. Maybe the employee was never clear on expectations. A lack of transparency possibly hobbled achievement. Or, as is often the case, perhaps the employee’s definition of success differed from that of their manager.

    Fostering a culture of employee accountability is key to the success of any business, and the formula almost certainly starts with respect for your team, their strengths and their goals. Best-selling author and TED Talker Daniel Pink says that fostering a spirit of autonomy, mastery and purpose in your employees allows them the freedom and inner drive to develop creative solutions. He is right; by affording them these opportunities for self-direction and responsibility, you create better alignment in an environment where your people feel valued and their talents nurtured. This is to say that you set the stage in your business for a culture of accountability.

    Related: How to Create a Culture of Gentle Accountability in 3 Steps

    Employees crave autonomy

    Autonomous employees are empowered to leverage their own judgment and take ownership of their decisions. Embracing a culture of self-responsibility throughout your business fosters a stronger sense of employee commitment, supports innovation and demonstrates your trust in your team’s capabilities and professionalism. By giving employees more flexibility and responsibility in their own approaches and outcomes, they become more thoughtful in their actions and decision-making processes.

    Accountability and autonomy might feel like conflicting concepts at times. Getting the balance right can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort. It starts with communication and clarity. When you or your management team assign a task to an employee, ensure that the person is clear about what you want them to do and the expected results. Ask the employee to confirm what you are asking them to do. Let them know you are available if they have questions about the task. Then allow them to do their job. You can check in periodically to track their progress along the way.

    Related: Want Elite Performance? Adopt These 5 Practices Of Top Tactical Units

    Employees want mastery

    Mastery is the process of honing one’s skills to a refined level. When you provide employees with development opportunities, they become quantifiably more engaged, productive and fulfilled in their jobs. Mastery boosts employees’ sense of accomplishment, positions them for a more rewarding career trajectory, and seeds the business with increasingly capable people. I talk a lot about win-win in business. Creating opportunities for your employees to master their skills while increasing your company’s competitive edge is certainly one of them.

    Consider investing in your business’s employee development, mentorship and leadership training programs. The ROI for learning initiatives tends to be high from a financial and cultural perspective. And while an increase in accountability is challenging to track with real numbers, it is most definitely positively impacted by employee mastery.

    Related: What is the Caliber of your Company Culture and How Can You Develop It?

    Employees desire purpose

    Now more than ever, employees yearn for a sense of purpose that serves as something larger than themselves in their professional and personal lives. Millennials and Gen Zs are particularly motivated to make a difference in the world around them at both a micro and macro level. By instilling a profound sense of purpose within the vision and mission of your company, you better attract and retain those people who are aligned with similar concerns and causes.

    When employees feel empowered and impactful in their ability to support what they care about, they are more committed, intentional and accountable. Greater purpose inspires ownership in achieving above-and-beyond outcomes.

    Purpose-driven employees also tend to be more adept at tackling challenges. They have faith in their own ability to overcome adversity to achieve a desired goal, so they willingly take on more responsibility and accountability to make things happen. Purpose is a powerful motivator on so many levels.

    When employees fall short on accountability

    What if you have put in the effort to create a culture of employee autonomy, mastery and purpose in your business, but your people are still lagging in the accountability department or are regularly just not meeting expectations?

    Rather than resorting to criticism, I suggest you take a coaching approach. Ask the employee how they felt a glitchy project went. What worked well and what panned out poorly. Ask them to analyze the processes and procedures, then have them share those opinions with you. This will provide you with enormous insight, at least from this employee’s perspective, that you may not have considered.

    While leveraging the coaching approach, you will often find that the employee admits their own culpability or poor performance in the project and makes suggestions for self-correction. Which, when you think about it, really is the definition of employee accountability, isn’t it?

    Jason Zickerman

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