Blog about Leadership

The Change in Focus

The lifelong timeline of a leader includes an important shift in focus and measuring success for this shift is well articulated by Jack Welch, the notable, former CEO of GE.

Leadership quote from Jack Welch:
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

Developing Leadership Potential

In the development phase, which starts “today” and continues lifelong, the focus is selfish in a sense. It’s about the leader – the leader’s knowledge, wisdom, understanding, communication skills, people skills, and the leader’s ability to influence.

The Practice of Leadership

The leading phase starts “tomorrow” and continues for as long as the leader is able to lead whether by position and/or by influence. The focus is on those you lead. The followers are not merely followers for I take the same position as Ralph Nader who stated, “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers .” It may be better to say, the success of a leader is all about growing leaders.

For Success Today

• Your focus should be on developing your leadership potential.

For Success Tomorrow

• Your focus should be on developing the leadership potential of others.

Visions and Opinions 

So many back-and-forth opinions surround corporate visions that having a vision statement or focusing the valuable attention of top leadership on it is often overlooked with all the other priorities. I honestly believe, as do many top business leaders like Jack Welch, that visions are an efficient and effective mechanism for leaders to impact their organizations.

Here’s a quote from unknown origin on visions and communication:
“A clear vision is usually assumed and rarely communicated.”

With so much knowledge and information in organizations, many managers and professionals have difficulty cutting through all the fluff to the core substance that is needed. The KISS principle is often touted, but not practiced often enough. Learning to Keep It Short and Simple requires you to edit and prioritize the information in reports, statements, plans, and other written materials.

Visions and KISS

The same focus should be placed on vision statements. Priority should be given to ensure that the most relevant and highest priorities are presented, but not hidden amongst unnecessary distractions.

Benefits of KISS

1. Ensures the statement is focused.

2. Allows the statement to be communicated more often and more effectively.

3. Increases the likelihood that the statement will be remembered.

4. Increases the likelihood that the statement will impact the daily workloads of the people who need to execute it.

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Last week, I wrote The Leader’s Vision about the important elements of corporate visions. Today, I want to share a quote from Jack Welch.

Jack Welch the distinguished former CEO of the notable GE Corporation has a great quote on good business leaders and vision:
“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

The four parts of Jack’s quote on vision encompassed each point of corporate visions: create a vision, communicate the vision, and take action on the vision.

I particularly appreciate the manner in which Jack said to take action on the vision, “relentlessly drive it to completion.”

What good does a vision do for a corporation if no action is taken to accomplish it? How can a corporation accomplish anything if there is not clear goal communicated?

“…create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

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“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”

“Change before you have to.”

“If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.”

“Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.”

“Control your own destiny or someone else will.”

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”