The current political chaos has many valuable lessons for leaders. And they are on display daily and likely will be for the foreseeable future. The bad news – you can’t escape the political rancor. The good news – everyday you can learn to more effectively lead change. And what leader won’t benefit from that!
1. Clarity of Vision
Define your most powerful, engaging and compelling vision for the future. Unless you know where you’re going, why would anyone follow you?
80% of the world engages in new information when the have a visual perspective, whether it is metaphorical or pictorial, making it visible is essential.
2. Clarity of Purpose
Why should followers engage in your vision? How is their world positively impacted in the short and long term? How is their immediate and extended community benefited into the next generation?
Unless you are clear about why, how can anyone engage in making it real with you?
3. Shared Agreement of Approach
Who, how, when and at what cost (monetary and other wise) must all be clear and yet open to modification as more people engage and join the process. And as the process evolves, the approach must be informed by lessons that are learned, gains that are made and value that is created.
When the how is unclear your message is but a platitude. When the how is non-negotiable, it will never be shared by and owned by followers.
4. Speak of the Amazing Future
When leaders focus on the negative, they generate more negative. And the corollary is equally true. Placing time and energy on the problems that are currently true or were caused by someone else or you speculate could become an obstacle are NOT engaging. People are drawn to the amazing future they can participate in creating. And then they are engaged in creating it with you!
Consistently keeping possibility in the conversation keeps people engaged and moving forward and that moves the vision into reality.
5. Recognize, Reward, Refocus, Refresh, Respond, Re-energize
Wise leaders pay careful attention to the impact they are having on others and the responses that is generating. They respond vs react. They look for the attempts people make at change and reward those energies. They monitor for messages that have veered off course and refocus the energies. They consistently and gently re-direct.
Savvy leaders are in the business of creating a future not denigrating a present or a past. Great leaders never demean. They build up and energize.
What future is on your radar screen that is compelling enough to champion, rally the troops around and have them bring to fruition?
What change do you need to make in your approach to leading that will keep the work ever positive, ever green and ever more compelling to more and new followers?
