Hello Leader!
"I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's going to be a bright, bright sunshiny day...." Johnny Nash.
This month in the C Factor we have focused on clarity as a practice of the confident leader that separates them from the mediocre leader. Entrepreneur Chris Myers observed, "Clarity is a habit and like any habit, it takes constant reinforcement."
We concur Chris, but why the heck is it so dang hard?
A simple answer is this:
We are overwhelmed and in some instances paralyzed by choice. Too much choice leads to second guessing ourselves and shutting down when there are too many paths to take. That's why your job as a leader is so critical, you provide clarity for yourself, your team, and your organization.
In his classic book, Good to Great, Jim Collins found in the not-so-great companies he studied, the executive leadership team, when asked individually, could not agree on the vision, mission, and values of the organization. If there were six executives, his research team would get six different answers. That means the further down the organizational chart you go, there is going to be a competing set of stories around what the organization stands for. If the executive team can't speak it with clarity, why should we expect anyone else to?
Your job as a leader is to provide clarity to everyone on the team, reduce ambiguity, and lead from the front. This becomes particularly important during times of great uncertainty, change, and disruption. As a manager, you are the conduit between senior leadership and individual contributors. Your ability to communicate these messages with clarity mean that there is a far better chance that everyone is working toward the same goal.
Great, but... how do I get there?
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Bring clarity to your team and organization with my SIX PROMPTS that every leader needs to answer. To watch, CLICK HERE.
- Interview FIVE people in your organization and ask them "What are the vision and mission and values of our organization?" Take notes and discuss with your team. Is there clarity in the answers or is it a big ol' mess of answers? If it is a big ol' mess what can you do to create clarity?
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Read this article from Harvard Business Review on how to bring clarity to your team's purpose: Why Are We Here?
Chip and Dan Heath spur us on with this simple message, "Clarity begets action"
Now, let's get to work!
Libby
P.S. Are you ready to join a community of established leaders who are working on the same things you are? A place where you can get courses and coaching, conversation and connection? Join us for our next cohort that launches March 1st. Go HERE to learn more.
Libby
