The culture of leadership

True leaders know the difference between leadership, management and administration. Failing to know the differences results in confusing leadership with management (making the rules) and/or administration (enforcing the rules). Creating and embracing a culture of leadership requires three key building blocks:

1. Values: Every sustainable organization must have a shared set of values that guide behavior and decision making at every level;
2. Vision: Organizational vision provides the beacon for guiding an organization toward its ultimate desired state and its contribution to its stakeholders, employees, customers and community.
3. Principles: Guiding principles take values and vision to the next step of operationalizing behavior and decision-making into a dynamic and ever-evolving set of organizational goals, objectives and outcomes.

The more thoroughly that leadership builds a Culture of Leadership around these three components, the more employees will be empowered to be creative in their thinking, take good risks, and make good decisions. Not only will the result be improved outcomes, but the cost savings will be huge in requiring less management (rules) and administration (enforcement) to drive behavior and decision-making.

Essential Governance

Trusted advice and guidance can be one of the most valuable assets for the leader of any company, organization or community. Structuring a framework and process for gathering, assimilating and applying that guidance usually takes the form of a board of advisors, directors or trustees. However, haphazardly assembled or ambiguous board structure and governance will lead to ineffectiveness or disaster. Board structure, responsibilities, authority and fiduciary/legal obligations will vary based on the nature of the board and the entity that they serve. Thoughtful, deliberate design and execution of board structure and governance is critical to the ultimate success of any organization. Roles must be well defined; proper committee structures must be in place; separation of power between board and staff must be clear; terms or service, succession and recruitment policies must be set and followed. These and many other considerations go into creating effective governance that enhances the value of an organization, moves it toward its vision and effectively empowers leadership. Boards must also be learning organizations, changing themselves over time to respond to changing needs of the entity they serve; be that new members with specific relevant experience, new or temporary committees respond to specific strategic or time-sensitive needs. Any organization can and will benefit from a periodic thorough review, assessment and alignment of its board governance process.

Vision is not enough

The path to greatness for any organization begins with a Vision. Leaders with Vision must also have the Passion it takes to pursue that Vision. However, too often I see leaders who have both Vision and Passion, but who are falling short in achieving their Vision. The cause more often than not can be easily traced to Planning… poor planning or the lack of a plan at all. Good things will sporadically happen for these organizations as a result of pure Vision and Passion. As a result, would-be leaders are fooled into thinking they are succeeding. But results over time will be disappointing, Passion will wane, and true progress toward the Vision will be impossible to achieve or measure without a Plan.