▼ Great leadership is the key to success.

Great communication is the key to great leadership. 

Think of any great leader in modern time: Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr, and John F. Kennedy come to mind immediately. 

They were powerful leaders because they could inspire people to follow them. 

It was their ability to articulate their vision that made them successful in achieving their goals.

▼ In your organization you must be the leader who inspires the team to great heights. 

To get them to follow you, be sure they are listening to your values and your vision, and then establish the right environment for them to thrive and grow.

✔ Values

When I mention values, everyone nods their heads as if of course, Kerri, that’s obvious. 

But, when I check up on this piece, I find the last time they discussed their values – personal and professional – with their team, was often in the interview before their people were even hired.

You must clearly know your personal values and your organization values to lead effectively.

 For example, do the answers to these questions come readily to mind?

✔ Personally:

1. What do you stand for?

2. What is most important to you?

3. What would you like your life to demonstrate?

4. What is your personal mission in life?

✔ Professionally:

1. What do you stand for?

2. What are you willing to do to get new business?

3. What are you not willing to do?

4. Do you have a professional mission statement?

▼ Quality leaders don’t change their values over time or to achieve short-term success. 

Consistent core organizational value systems form the strong foundation for long-term success.

▼ A simple definition is that your values are the rules by which you play the game. 

A well-defined value system makes all decisions easier and encourages your team to go where you lead.

✔ Vision 

It’s easy to say you have a vision for your business. 

It’s your lifeblood. You know it inside out. 

Writing it down is the next step. Sharing it widely with your team is imperative too. 

Even more importantly, your vision for the business must provide a unifying picture so that everyone on the team – regardless of job function – can see exactly where you’re going and the importance of their role in getting there. 

Therefore, the clearer the concept and the clearer (i.e., short and simple) the message is, the more likely you, and your team, can achieve the goal. 

Your vision needs to answer three questions. 

And it must answer those three questions for everyone on the team.

1. What do we do?

2. How do we do it

3. For whom do we do it?

As Jim Collins proved in his book, From Good to Great, this is not a 30 minute, one meeting exercise. 

This requires 100% participation. 

It can’t be a top-down decision. 

It must be iterative and inclusive.

✔ Environment

Andrew Carnegie said: 

“You must capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best.” 

When you understand what is at the core of your team members, you can serve them and allow them to reach their full potential. 

Value their uniqueness. 

Your team members are your internal customers. 

You must treat them at least as well as your external customers. 

This is the highest level of customer service.

▼ Shape the right work environment and you’ll have loyal team members to lead. 

That means, you have to create a work environment that respects each person, appreciates them and rewards their effort, and encourages an openness to change. 

Make it a safe environment, one which encourages trying new ideas. 

When you unleash personal creativity, each team member has a stake in the outcome. 

It’s an environment that promotes growth at all levels. 

Combine all three elements and you have a formula for inspiring greatness and leading to breakthrough success. 

Do it now!

▲ Change requires power.

Any kind of change is a formidable challenge for most people.

Yet the Lord asks us to change from our old ways and do things His way.

Not an easy task!

▲ In your daily world, especially in this hectic instant access global culture where technology changes by the minute and you have to be adapting constantly, change is inevitable.

You are being pulled in diverse directions and the older you get the less elastic you become.

You get in the habit of doing things a certain way and become less tolerant to external demands to alter our lifestyle.

Modifying learned responses to habitual routine tasks often causes stress and anxiety, especially in older persons.

▲ However, when the Lord requires you to change your lifestyle,

He not only gives you the power to do so, but the result is a much more powerful you!

Some people say they love the Lord but refuse to make a commitment because they’re just not “ready” yet!

If only they realized that with the Lord everything goes smoothly, peacefully, and painlessly! Yes! Really!

▲ It’s your love for Him that prompts you to make adjustments .

All you need to do is lay your life before Him and ask Him to fashion you into a precious vessel for His use.

You cannot change on your own.

He is the potter, you are the clay.

The clay just lies there as a lifeless lump on the potter’s wheel while the master twists and turns it until it is just right.

All that is required of you is a willingness to want to be like Him.

▲ The more readily you give yourself fully to Him the more instant the transformation.

Suddenly they don’t seem so important any more.

When you were in the world your mind, alienated from God through ignorance and blindness, prompted you to do things your own way.

Once you know the Truth, you will want to put off all the vices and let your mind be washed by the Word.

▼ The first area that we look at is that of Personal Attributes.

This is a blend of knowledge, expertise, and competencies, encapsulated in the approach, the behaviour, of the leader. 

In organisations of all sizes and in all sectors, public and private, these characteristics are key to effective leadership. 

The essential personal attributes are as follows.

▼ Behaving Ethically, 

by: learning about the ethical issues and concerns that impact on your business sector; 

adopting a balanced, open-minded approach to the ethical concerns of others; considering the ethical issues and implications of all personal actions and organisational activity; 

raising and discussing ethical issues before proposing or agreeing to decisions; 

resisting pressures from the organisation or its partners to achieve objectives by unethical means.

▼ Thinking Strategically, by: learning and understanding how the different functions, physical divisions, and layers, of the organisation should work together: 

understanding the complexities of, and the changes happening in, the external environment, and considering how the organisation can best respond the these; 

understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation, 

and the opportunities and threats facing it; understanding how the strategic objectives are influenced by all the current and forecast influences that will impact on the organisation; 

understanding that the operational objectives and targets must be in line with and support the strategic objectives of the organisation; 

being aware of and responding to the behaviour of current and potential competitors.

▼ Supporting Corporate Goals, by: helping to create and communicate a vision which can be understood and supported by people at all levels; 

helping others to understand and contribute to the strategic goals; 

giving visible personal support to the strategic direction and specific goals set by the organisation.

▼ Communicating Effectively, by: being responsive to messages and signals from the internal and external environments; 

making effective use of communication channels from and to all levels within the organisation; pro-actively encourage the exchange of information within the organisation, 

and amongst suppliers, customers and partners; listening to others, including those with opposing views, carefully and thoughtfully; 

selecting personal communication styles that are appropriate to the different situations and audiences.

▼ Gathering Information, by: establishing multiple channels and networks which generate a constant flow of information, 

from within and outside the organisation; regularly and consistently gathering, 

analysing, challenging, and using the information gathered.

▼ Making Decisions, by: establishing a consistent approach to the analysis of information; drawing on personal experience and knowledge to identify current and potential problems; 

consider a range of solutions before selecting the final one; ensuring that the selected decision is feasible, achievable, and affordable; considering the impact of the decision on all stakeholders, 

at all levels, before approving implementation.

▼ Developing Effective Teams, by: appreciating the contribution of others, at all levels in the organisation; ensuring that individuals and teams are kept informed of plans, 

developments and issues that will affect them; ensuring that individual and team development schemes are given appropriate priority; 

providing personal support for the implementation and maintenance of development activities for individuals and teams at all levels.

▼ Behaving Assertively, by: understanding and responding to personal roles and responsibilities; adopting a leading role in initiating action and decision making; 

taking personal responsibility for decisions and actions; being properly prepared for involvement in activities and events; being confident and professional in dealing with change and challenges; 

refusing unreasonable demands; defending and protecting individuals and teams from unfair or discriminatory actions; remaining professional in manner at all times.

▼ Concentrating On Results, by: contributing to the establishment of an organisational culture that demands high standards and high levels of performance; focusing on objectives and planned outcomes, 

at all times; dealing with issues and problems when they arise; planning and scheduling personal work and the work of others in ways which make best use of available resources; 

delegating appropriately; giving personal attention to the critical issues and events.

✎ Managing Yourself, by: reflecting regularly on personal performance and progress; pro-actively asking for feedback on personal performance; 

changing personal behaviour in the light of feedback received; 

being responsible for your own personal development needs.

✎ Presenting a Positive Image, by: adopting a leading role in initiating action and decision making; 

behaving in a professional manner at all times; 

being open-minded and responsive to the needs of others; visibly working towards personal and career development goals; 

adopting an ethical approach to all personal and organisational activity; 

being supportive to colleagues; demonstrating fairness and integrity at all times.

▼ In Summary: these essential attributes are many, and difficult to maintain consistently, but they are the attributes needed by, and expected of, our business leaders. 

The size of the organisation, the business sector, whether public or private, is of no consequence. 

The leaders of all organisations should be role models for others, be visible champions of high standards of professional and ethical behaviour, 

be leaders who others in their organisations can be proud of, and be leaders that competitors are envious of. 

Not many of these characteristics are imbued in our leaders by default. 

They have to be learned, can be learned, and should then be continuously developed and enhanced. 

With these personal attributes in place, and being demonstrated in behaviour and actions, business leaders will be more effective and more successful.