Many organizations state that they are unique and unlike any others in their industry. Leaders may take for granted that this is enough to ensure success. As a result, they ignore the core principles which have profound impact on their teams and organization.
One foundational principle is that people are your greatest resource. Consider if your entire team quit tomorrow, would you have a company left? Absolutely not. Therefore, investing in people is critical. Equipping them, supporting them, and challenging them to grow needs to be part of your schedule. It cannot be just when time permits, but rather a priority in your day, week, and month.
This basic priority is true for every organization. Another truth is that leaders must work on strengthening their culture. Your culture is based on your values and how you collaborate to fulfill your mission. A strong culture builds trust and allows you to focus on the critical work ahead. It assists the team in making good decisions and knowing how to serve your clients.
Another key principle is strong leadership. No matter how long you have been leading, you can never know enough. The demands and needs of your team or organization will change as you grow. It requires leaders to stretch and look for opportunities to learn through any means possible. That means you should have a list of growth goals and a plan for the year to reach them.
All of these principles are key whether you have a large or small organization, nonprofit or for profit. As leaders we must commit ourselves to ensuring they will happen. Begin by scheduling time for these crucial activities and then using the remaining time for other priorities. Certainly, there will be tasks that you no longer have time for, but those are not the highest priority. Those can be delegated or rescheduled to ensure that your time is invested wisely.
Let’s be strong leaders and do the work that will change the status quo of your organization into something amazing.
