HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

Part 4 of 4

This four part series on leadership illustrates that there is no real secret to being a good leader. However, Highly Successful Leaders are known to be guided by three main principles and skills. Those three guiding principles and skills are:

•  Highly Successful Leaders are Authentic - they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

•  Highly Successful Leaders provide Vision, Values and Strategies to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success.

•  Highly Successful Leaders have Personal and Organizational Values which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

The third and final guiding principle is that Highly Successful Leaders are guided by personal and organizational values. The ability to lead others first requires self leadership. Values like honesty and integrity clearly come to mind as well as being open minded and understanding of the importance of continual learning and self development. Highly Successful Leaders are in a continual learning stage. They seek to understand people, process and strategy.

Organizational values must be clearly articulated from the leaders to all members of the organization. Equally important, these values must be present in all actions taken by the leadership team. Many will refer to this as “Values-Based Leadership.” Values-based leadership focuses on balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of the organization by aligning the vision, values and resources of all concerned.

A look at any newspaper on virtually any day will illustrate how many organizations seem to be guided “Value-less leadership.” A classic example of a company that successfully demonstrated their commitment to “Value-based leadership” was Johnson & Johnson. They recalled Tylenol capsules after some deaths were reported in Chicago that attributed to their product. They made the decision to recall the product because of the following organizational value “we believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers, and fathers and all others who use our products and services. That expressed value made the decision to recall the product a relatively simple decision. Subsequent investigation revealed the product had been tampered with after it was on the store shelf. Johnson & Johnson did sustain some short term loss due to this decision. The good will and credibility they gained by taking immediate action for the protection of the consumer is still paying dividends today.

Values must be incorporated into your strategic business plan and into your day to day activities. They are a significant factor as far as keeping all members of the organization aligned on common goals. Make sure your values are meaningful to you and your organizational success. There is not an industry or profession that cannot benefit in a sustainable manner from running their organization with a “Values-Based Leadership” mentality.

Leadership is a skill that is developed. What are you doing to develop your leadership skills? What about your team’s leadership skills?

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

 Part 3 of 4

In Part 1 it was discovered that there is no real secret to leadership. However, we did find that Highly Successful Leaders are guided by three main principles and skills. Those three are:

• Highly Successful Leaders are Authentic - they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

• Highly Successful Leaders provide Vision, Values and Strategies to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success.

• Highly Successful Leaders have Personal and Organizational Values which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

Part 2 covered the topic of being Authentic. The focus of this article will be on how Highly Successful Leaders provide Vision, Values and Strategies to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success. Highly Successful Leaders are able to take their organization to where it has not been. This requires that the leader have a Vision of where the organization is going. These leaders are known to be visionaries, coaches, stewards, designers, mentors and teachers. They are consistently learning, seeking new information, improving and stretching their capabilities.


They not only guide the organization for where it is going into the future but they also set the ground rules for how they are going to get there. The values of the organization are clearly defined and known throughout the organization. This allows for all parties to stay in alignment with overall organizational goals. Values will help to answer the do and do not types of questions. The Highly Successful Leader will identify and constantly communicate the commonly held values of the organization. Values are so important that Part 4 will cover them once again.


Finally the Highly Successful Leader will make sure the strategies are in place for the organization to get where it is going. The road to success cannot be left to chance. It must be planned for. There must be a plan in place to strategically take the business from where it is to where it desires to go in the future. Everything must be in alignment for organizations to achieve ultimate success.


Leaders are not born they are developed. What are you doing to further develop your leadership skills? How about the leadership skills of your team? Feel free to visit my website or contact me directly.

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

Part 2 of 4

Part 1 of this series provided an overview of Highly Successful Leaders. We learned that there is no secret to being a leader. However, we also know that Highly Successful Leaders share three Principles and Skills. They are:

• Highly Successful leaders are AUTHENTIC – they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

• Highly Successful Leaders provide VISION, VALUES, and STRATEGIES to transform their organization to higher levels of sustained success

• Highly Successful Leaders have PERSONAL and ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

The focus of Part 2 is on being AUTHENTIC. Authentic is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “that which can be believed or accepted; trustworthy, reliable, genuine, and real.” When you identify leadership on a personal level, you develop the authenticity to become a world-class leader. Leadership must start with the individual. Personal leadership precedes professional leadership, and authenticity is a cornerstone for both.


An important trait of an authentic person is openness, because authenticity is grounded in freedom, which is openness to being. The authentic person is alive to possibilities: his own, other people and the world at large. This openness is expressed to others through honesty and accessibility. The authentic leader is one who creates an organization where everyone feels free to be open, innovative and alive to possibilities.


Authentic people understand who they are and what strengths they have. They also understand the weaknesses or limitations they have. They place themselves in positions to take advantage of their strengths while simultaneously avoiding as much as possible having to use their weaknesses or limitations. Another way of looking at it is they are the person who is the right fit for that particular position. Equally important they are able to see other’s strengths and find the right fit for those strengths. People who are able to utilize their strengths will find success. Success leads to more success.


The following quote is sums this up quite nicely “ Stop trying to put in what God left out and instead, work with what he put in.” Dr Robert Hartman. Dr Hartman is the founder of the science of Axiology.


Please feel free to visit my website or contact me directly for more information. I do utilize an assessment called the Attribute Index that can help identify what makes you authentic. Remember Leadership is a skill that can be developed. What are you doing to develop your leadership skills and the leadership skills of your team?

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL LEADERS: THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SKILLS

PART I of 4

We can be assured of several things: the challenges facing us today will become even more challenging in the future; the speed with which change occurs will increase; and our competition will change. The only real constant we can be sure of is that change will take place. The challenge of the executive today is to create an organization that will maintain growth and improvement in an environment rife with rapid fire change.


Creating and leading an organization that will maintain a competitive advantage will require executives to transform an organizational culture founded on yesterday’s paradigms and ideas. Priorities will have to shift and thinking will have to change. Attitudes and behaviors reflecting new and different social and organizational values will have to be adapted. Adjusting to change for many people is difficult and stressful. Ultimately, success will require LEADERSHIP.

A leader is a person who does just that. He or she leads. Unfortunately, many are placed in a position of leadership yet few rise to the ranks of highly effective and strong leaders. Many books and studies have been written purporting to provide the secret to what makes a great leader. The truth of the matter is that there is no real secret. There are three guiding principles and skills that are fundamental to successful leaders everywhere.

•  First Highly Successful Leaders are AUTHENTIC – they know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example.

•  Second Highly Successful Leaders provide VISION, VALUES AND STRATEGIES to transform their organizations to higher levels of sustained success.

• Third Highly Successful Leaders have PERSONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES which govern their behavior. They lead by values.

Leading today’s organization into tomorrow’s competitive arena will require that individuals and organizations redefine their values and identify how these values translate into a leadership philosophy. Values-based leadership focuses on balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of the organization by aligning the vision, values and resources of all concerned.



Part II of this four part series will focus on being AUTHENTIC.

Part III will discuss VISION, VALUES AND STRATEGIES

Part IV will discuss PERSONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES

Leadership is a skill that can be developed. What are you doing to develop leadership skills for you and/or other members of your leadership team? Feel free to visit my website or contact me directly for more information.

Planning for Success Part II

Part II


Business owners many times have a business plan that was written years ago. Perhaps the business plan was written in order to obtain bank financing or was written with the intention of the plan guiding day to day operations but somehow it got lost in the chaos of running a business. The business plan if created and implemented in the right manner will result in improved business results. Part I of this article provided ample reasons why a business plan needs to be done. Part II is written with the business owner who had a plan at one time but for whatever reason it has been put to the side.

The first question to be asked is why should I update a business plan if I am getting by without now? The answer is simple. Would you go on vacation without making travel, hotel arrangements and a plan for how you are going to spend your time? A properly written and implemented business plan allows for the business owner to not only set a plan for where he/she wants to get to but also strategies for how to actually get there. The key component is strategic planning. Business owners and leaders today have found that developing a strategy and an implementation plan is far more effective than leaving the future to chance. The time, expense and energy the business owners have placed into their businesses is far too valuable to leave to chance.


The one constant in business is that change will take place. Conditions are changing all the time. A properly written and executed business plan will allow for the business owner to strategically plan for the changes that will take place. A well written strategic business plan must be capable of changing with the business conditions. The strategic business plan must allow for and actually encourage the creative energies of the business owner and his staff to make the necessary changes to reach the business goals. Ultimately, success will depend on this ability.


Finally, it must be stated that since there is a plan in existence, although outdated, the strategic planning process can be done in a relatively brief period of time. The renewal of the business plan properly written and implemented in a strategic manner will help to reenergize the business owner resulting in measurable positive outcomes. Improved sales, customer loyalty, employee retention rates and a more focused and goal directed leadership team.



The most important factor to your success is … YOU! Plan on it!

Planning for Success Part I

Part I


Virtually everyone knows that to be successful in business a properly written and executed business plan must be in place. It is not surprising for those who serve many small and medium sized businesses to learn that there is no active business plan in place or that there may be a business plan on the shelf someplace but that it needs to be updated and/or revisited in some significant manner. Planning for Success Part I will highlight the reasons for writing a business plan from scratch. Part II of Planning for Success will cover the importance of revisiting and or updating an existing plan on that shelf collecting dust.

There are many reasons why business owners choose not to write a business plan. It is this author’s belief that when properly done the writing of a business plan is not a mundane task to be dreaded and avoided but rather one that should assist in bringing the business owner’s passion and enthusiasm for his/her business to life. The starting point for any good business plan is the Vision Statement. This Vision Statement if properly done will bring motivation and commitment to the execution of the overall plan.

Secondly, the business plan should be strategic in nature. A strategic business planning process provides a format for developing specific strategies, converting those strategies into a business planning process, and establishing measurable and attainable organizational goals. It is a process that involves not only determining where an organization wants and needs to go, but also, how it is going to get there.

The most important reason for writing a business plan is to achieve success. Failing to plan is in essence planning to fail. The measurable results of an appropriately written and executed business plan include:

• A Strong Sense of Purpose
• A Defined Strategic Direction for the Business
• A Strengthened Focus on Attracting, Servicing and Keeping Customers
• A Proper Allocation of Resources
• A Pro-Active Management Focus
• A More Motivated, Focused and Productive Workforce.

The most important factor to your success is … YOU!

Part II is Next!