Overview:
This is the third in our three-part series of the Work of Leaders model. We have covered Crafting Vision by imaging a future state of the company and Building Alignment, which increases employee buy-in for the vision.
All the building blocks are in place, and now it is time to ‘Make the Vision A Reality’ by Championing Execution of the vision. It is important to remember that leaders at all levels have a part to play in each of these stages.
3 Drivers of Championing Execution: Momentum, Structure, and Feedback.
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Momentum
- Momentum is driven by the examples of the leader. Leaders, do not ask more than you are willing to give. It involves being driven for results and initiating action. Commitment to deadlines, challenging priorities, and helping people see new initiatives as part of their jobs keeps the project moving forward. A leader needs to be a catalyst who provides the necessary momentum, drive, and resources.
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Structure:
- Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Planning, organizing and analyzing in-depth drive Structure. A leader must create an environment where there is open and timely communication across all functions. Team members need to know that planning is iterative and how their actions affect others. Not only is it important to have a plan, we must take the time necessary for in-depth analysis.
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Feedback:
- Communication is essential to execution, and Feedback is driven by creating a culture of candor and trust. Effective leaders let people know how they are performing, they address problems head-on, and they regularly make time to recognize contributions to encourage ownership and engagement.
The Importance of Championing Execution:
- Propelling the development of concrete strategies.
- Making the vision actionable.
- Giving people a sense of achievement.
- Fulfilling the promise of the vision.
- Providing the necessary momentum, drive, ongoing support and resources to ultimately bring the vision to life.
In our experience of working with hundreds of leaders, different styles are more inclined to have natural strengths.
Example:
A leader high in Dominance, from DiSC, is often naturally driven during execution, but less inclined toward structure. On the other side, a Conscientious leader is naturally inclined toward structure such as creating a detail task structure.
In our work with leadership teams, we have seen some teams who have a “leadership culture” represented by a strong drive. A strong drive often leads to leadership overlooking the power of praise within a team. Such a culture can seem very task-master oriented without an appreciation for the hard work their teams do. Team members overtime can run out of ‘emotional steam’ without genuine praise and encouragement from leadership.
Ready to put the Work of Leaders to work with you and your team? Call today at 916-788-1094!