The Leader’s Priorities: The Building Blocks of Compounding Power
Executive leaders direct large teams of staff in their organizations and face assaults on many fronts. Their implementation of some key priorities helps them maintain focus against the continual distraction from the organizational vision and to build a solid foundation for exponential growth. Four priorities, in particular, foster team building, a stronger community, and team-mindedness.
Effective leaders look ahead and provoke change. The very factors that produced today’s success can lead to tomorrow’s failure. Therefore, a leader must be able to embrace change and move with the currents of advancements and culture. As an agent of change, the leader sets a fire so that staff members see the flames with their own eyes and smell the smoke with their own nostrils. They personalize it. This leader observes trends, anticipates adjustments, strategizes a new direction and plans, then implements focused change.
Effective leaders pursue excellence in every area of their lives. Excellence—“the quest for continual improvement, moving from adequate to good, from good to very good, and from very good to outstanding”—makes allowances for mistakes and avoids the entrapments of perfectionism. The pursuit of excellence demonstrates continual improvement and progression, enhances one’s leadership gifts, and conveys the importance of personal growth to other staff members.
Effective leaders cultivate participation by inviting, encouraging, and esteeming the contributions of every member.This produces adhesion within a team. Leaders build teams with spirit and cohesion, ones that feel like family. Leaders make others feel like owners, not hired hands. This participatory style of leadership is the commitment to allow each person the opportunity to influence a decision or direction. Divergent views are encouraged. Closure on a given topic may take time due to the leader’s commitment to forge a thoughtful, collective agreement. Following these methods of participation, team leaders can encourage and welcome the participation of staff members.
Effective leaders create culture. Culture refers to the climate or social energy of a team. A good example of a leader creating culture is found in 1 Chronicles 29. During the building of the temple, King David gave beyond the kingdom’s resources by using his personal possessions. As a result of his standard of giving, the leaders in every region of Israel then “gave willingly.” David created a climate of giving and rejoicing, and “the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders.” One good leader will impact the entire organization. It creates a nurtured team “personality” that then directly influences its successes and achievements. Successful leaders develop a positive team environment that helps to inspire minds in the present to create a flourishing future. Without a positive culture, often the vision of an enterprise will topple.
These four priorities—change, excellence, participation, and culture—when embraced by the leader, permeate the team and encourage members of the staff into a cohesive unit. Once solid standards are established, lived out, and infused into the organization, effective leaders then skillfully use their abilities to chart a strategic course for the team.