Page 148 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

Beginning to Craft Your Vision and Direction 133

stakeholders, opinion makers, and the leaders under you. Especially impor-
tant is the support of your leadership team. Describe for them the steps in the
organizational growth process. Collaborate with them on the design of the
process, and ask them to assume leadership in developing various task forces
and problem-solving groups. Do not move without them. But don’t wait either
until you have their total commitment, for this could be a long time in com-
ing. Rather, focus your efforts primarily on those who are with you. Deal with
the laggards as necessary. Always encourage people to be positive, to say ‘‘I
wonder,” “I wish,” “I hope,” and “If I could,” and then help them to make
things happen. We have learned from neuropsychologists that the word imag-
ine is a powerful stimulus of creativity and emotional engagement. During
your work to establish and communicate vision and purpose, use language
such as “Imagine what we could do when . . .” or “Imagine what our contri-
butions could be when we overcome this issue.”

2. You must keep driving toward achievement of the vision. You must
model real “fire in the belly” dedication. Your role is architect and crew chief
of a process and a view of the future that touches people in a way they can
embrace. But the heartfelt purpose around which people pull together is often
intangible. Thus, the power of a committed vision and purpose is likely to
include important principles or values, such as quality, excellence, or high lev-
els of consistency or service. While potentially uplifting, the vision must be
grounded in reality so it can be understood and achieved with hard work. It
must advance your business or organization beyond where it is now and pos-
sibly beyond where it has ever been. But it must also target new and greater
individual and group performance. The process is participatory: the organi-
zation shares its dreams, its resources, and the responsibility to act as one.
Words will never be enough. Action and behaviors convince people.

3. Keep top leadership commitment visible. As long as people believe top
leadership is interested, supportive, and participating themselves, they will
maintain energy and commitment. Ask your boss to sit in on a few of your
meetings, to address the total group periodically, to provide words of encour-
agement and appreciation. In short, keep your boss informed and visible in
supporting your vision, goals, and values.