How Leaders Fail
"You must have a comprehensive and articulated ideal that you're working toward."
- Jordan Peterson
Without a basic leadership foundation in place, a leader will fail. It’s that simple. Every time.
The Cautionary Tale
Just as a sturdy foundation is critical before erecting a structure, having the proper grounding as a leader is absolutely vital before you can successfully steer an organization or team. All too often, companies rush to promote talented individual contributors into leadership roles without first ensuring they have the necessary leadership foundation in place.
This approach is as foolhardy as an overeager homebuilder trying to construct a house on an inadequate foundation or, worse yet, no foundation at all. They may be able to get the frame up quickly, but without that crucial footing, the entire structure is highly unstable and vulnerable to collapse under any added load, stress or environmental factors. Pretty soon, cracks begin appearing in the walls and floors start sagging. The shortcut of skipping the foundation work ultimately becomes tremendously costly and hazardous.
The Fundamental Disconnect
Leadership is no different. Promoting you into a management position solely based on your excellent performance in a previous role sets you up for failure. Leading others requires an entirely distinct skill set from just being a top performer individually. It necessitates having a firm foundational mindset and established vision for steering the larger organization and people successfully.
The Blueprint for Leadership Fortitude
Just as a sturdy home foundation requires planned and meticulous excavation and the laying of exact footings and support structures before the lightest framing can begin, the building blocks for leadership must be carefully conceived and solidified. Only once this essential foundation is in place can the larger "upfit" of leadership construction commence in a sustainable way.
What are those mission-critical foundations for leadership? At minimum:
Mission
The creation of your mission statement is the cornerstone. It is your why - a physical manifestation of what you stand for and intend to do.
Vision
While your mission defines who you are today, your vision statement focuses on the future and what you're reaching for. As a contemporary of mine once quoted me saying, "Once you become satisfied, you stop improving." Share your vision to keep the entire team accountable and moving in the same positive direction.
Core Values
Your core values - the fundamental beliefs and principles guiding decisions - serve as the barometer, or like a ship's rudder. With solid core values steering your course, you'll be equipped to navigate decisions with greater ease.
Leadership Philosophy
Determine the type of leader you'll be by documenting your comprehensive leadership philosophy. Provide insight into how you make decisions and your expectations of others. It empowers continuity and team initiative when you're away.
Essential Policies
While core values guide decisions, organizations need clear policies that lay out the expectations and boundaries for team members. These ensure a safe, positive, productive environment aligned with integrity.
The Hallmarks of a Lasting Leadership Legacy
Just as the right footing has precise specifications suited to the soil conditions, these leadership foundations represent the "load-bearing" factors tailored to your unique circumstances as a leader. Properly constructed, they establish the structural integrity to not only support all your downstream leadership endeavors but also provide resilience for weathering any storms ahead.
Skipping the crucial and necessary work of first establishing this leadership foundation is as reckless as erecting a building without any footings. It's a formula for instability and ultimate collapse when the inevitable pressures and stresses of leading people arise. Your leadership pursuits are doomed or in vain if you don't have a solidly articulated vision and standards to guide behavior.
The Cornerstone of Effective Leadership
The moral of the story? For uplifting leadership impact, don't overlook the foundational musts before embarking on any larger leadership initiatives. Take the time to meticulously engineer these load-bearing elements so you can confidently construct the remainder of your leadership abilities upon a structurally sound base. A solid grounding is an indispensable prerequisite for any long-enduring leadership success.
Ready to lay the right foundation for your business? Learn more about the 5 Business Foundations and start your free leadership assessment today!
