Lead to Succeed: The Leadership Choice
BY HELEN TSOTSOS
Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans.
— Peter Drucker (Leadership Guru)
Leadership and management skills can be trained into anyone. The desire and the will to lead cannot. When it is a choice, strong leadership is a key driver for overall business success. What do you need to be, know or do to become a powerful leader?
Powerful leadership requires courage, intelligence and the willingness to do what is necessary to improve people, processes and outcomes. This is not about quick fixes or easy answers—those are illusions. The truth is that real change, worthwhile change happens as a result of the commitments and the choices you make to it. What have you committed to through the choices you’ve made? What will you commit to as you move forward?
Strong leadership includes some potent variables: followers, leaders, communication and vision. Enticing followers, starts with understanding who they are and what they want. You need to know how to keep them satisfied.
According to a study by Hay Consulting Group that examined 75 key components of employee satisfaction, trust and confidence in leadership is the single most reliable predictor of what will keep your people satisfied. How do you build trust and confidence with those you lead?
One of the most challenging, yet rewarding, tasks you’ll encounter as a leader is connecting with your followers. Often it requires suspending your own ego to focus on the needs, emotions and motivations of others. Turn any tests and trials into learning opportunities. Remember they’re looking to you as an example of right behaviors, attitudes and actions. If you need support to stay focused, get some—hire a coach!
Good leaders develop by engaging in ongoing self-examination, education, skill development and practice. Some areas to start delving into with honesty are your attitudes, beliefs, skills, training and character. Know your strengths and use them. Acknowledge your vulnerabilities and turn them into strengths. Send the message to others that you’re first willing to do what you expect of them.
The Hay’s study also found that are three critical areas of communication that will win the trust and confidence of those you lead. Firstly, help employees to understand your overall vision and business strategy. Communicate your vision frequently and with enthusiasm—it keeps the energy up!
Secondly, help them to understand how they contribute to achieving key business objectives. Engaging and empowering your people creates a united front. Link their strengths, skills and talents to specific goals and outcomes. It’s a form of recognition that motivates.
Lastly, share information with your employees on how the business is doing relative to strategic business objectives. Being open doesn’t necessarily mean spilling out every detail. Sharing relevant information makes others feel they are valuable parts of a greater whole. You may even get some incredible insights and ideas from the pool of talent that supports your business.
Crafting a vision provides a blueprint for your ideal future. It is a holistic process that looks at “what if” scenarios to generate and test new ideas. According to Burt Nanus, business management theorist, “vision is a realistic, credible, attractive future for your organization…an idea so energizing that it in effect jump starts the future by calling for the skills, talents and resources to make it happen.”
This process is not for the short sighted, but for those who have the foresight to recognize that the seeds they plant and nurture now will yield a fruitful crop in the future. The visioning process involves exploration of viable future possibilities. Very simplified, the process looks something like this:
2. Organizational view: Explore people, processes, the structure of your organization and resources. Who’s involved and what roles do they play? What key structures need to be put in place or changed? What resources are available and how will they be allocated?
3. Environmental Scan: Analyze the internal business environment and external environment for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities or threats i.e. performance, culture, competitors, market trends, economic factors, etc.
4. Driving Forces: What sets you apart from the rest? Exploring this helps you to identify a set of factors that direct and influence decisions and strategies, in addition to being a motivating force i.e. values, core beliefs, purpose, innovation, service, etc.
5. Ideal Outcomes: Going through the above process will clarify details of your vision i.e. direction and focus. Next analyze the gap between your current reality and your ideal future state and prioritize goals with time lines. A focused strategy will easily flow from clear, concise and realistic goals.
Strong leadership takes heart and smarts. Step up and step into the choice that will transform not only your organization, but you as well. Focus on what it takes to make powerful change happen and commit to it. You’ll be glad you did.
Helen Tsotsos is an Adler Certified Professional Coach (ACPC), an entrepreneur, a certified trainer and leader. She has partnered 20 years of success as a day spa owner with her Business Coaching practice to serve the industry she knows and loves. Helen understands the needs and challenges of spa professionals and uses her practical wisdom, experience and education to motivate and inspire her clients through change and growth. She has worked with business leaders, managers and executives to support and enhance personal and professional success through powerful visioning, creative strategies and effective action plans. For more information on individual and group coaching, customized training programs and workshops, please contact Helen at (416) 466-1541 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.successdynamics.ca.
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