It was true before the crash and is now irrefutable; an organization’s success is as much the will of the people as it is the will of the executive team. In order to move an organization in bold new directions, you must do it from the inside out. It requires leadership everywhere. A majority of businesses have, and will fall into crisis mode, hunkering down, laying low, and playing it safe. But organizations filled with gutsy, bold, and brave leaders, those willing to shake things up and charge the hill determined to win will find that the field is uncrowded, and success is hungry for a home.
Here are five ways to begin fueling leadership from the inside out.
1. Choose to think big and act bold. Ask yourself these questions:
“What does the organization need right now?”
“Do we really have the right people with the right skills in the right places?” If not, how can I add more value?
“What talents, skills, and/or recommendations can I contribute to help move the organization in the right direction?”
Your drive for making your organization better and doing something worthwhile for it must be bigger than your fear of failure. It’s your choice; will it be your moment to lead and to act for the greater good—or will you retreat and lay low because of fear? Remember, your life is the sum total of what you choose to do with the moments you have. Now is the time to make every moment count. Before you call it a day, add value and do something bold! It is time to lead wherever you are planted.
2. Define a big, inspiring cause. Answer these questions.
What values do your products and services bring the world?
What’s really COOL about what you and your organization provide—what is the noble purpose, the value add?
Talk about it and celebrate it because when people sense that they are contributing to the greater good, work becomes a calling. And when people are working toward a cause or a calling, they are far more motivated to engage and deliver! No denying, we gain more personal fulfillment and professional satisfaction at work when we understand how our contribution makes a difference.
3. Choose to be gutsy. Embrace change, turmoil, and tough decisions courageously. Don’t waste your time focusing on things you can NOT control. Focus forward on what can be done, on where you want to take the organization, on what you want to achieve, and work like crazy to get everyone involved in creative solutions to make it happen. When others see you working fearlessly toward a clearly defined vision and understand that you want and value their input, they are more likely to engage and commit to the journey as well.
4. Celebrate people and projects. Start a bragging lunch, an internal brag blog, or a telebrag conference call that celebrates and shows gratitude for small and large contributions. Brag about and honor the people who are making things happen. Show and tell the ways they are doing it. The things you celebrate say a lot about what you value. Success breeds success. As you share cool ideas, people will be inspired; and watch out, they, too, will rise to the occasion. When people feel like they are moving in the right direction and doing things worth bragging about, it increases optimism, energy, and momentum.
5. Lighten up and start having fun. Are you kidding? No! We understand, it’s tough to think about encouraging fun with our economy in the tank. The better question is how can you not? Having fun and being professional are not mutually exclusive. Fun is a major form of differentiation; fun creates energy, stimulates creativity, and boosts productivity and performance! Fun makes doing even mundane tasks more pleasant. When people are having fun at work, it’s like adding fuel to a fire. Fun is like a nutrient we crave; we gravitate toward fun people, events, companies, and leaders. We ask audiences around the world, “Who likes to work with fun people?” Every hand goes up! We ask, “Who likes to do business with fun people?” And again, all hands go up. Careful though, you can’t legislate fun! Trust us, we’ve seen a few mandatory fun programs flop! So instead of expecting fun or requiring it, choose to be the example. Your own willingness to be more fun and participate in it demonstrates the importance you place on fun. If we asked your colleagues if you’re fun to work with, what would they say? Fun is contagious. Misery is too; so what do you want to be known for? Give your colleagues the freedom to have fun—you’ll be more inspired and they will too!
Personal change precedes organizational change; so look in the mirror and ask, “Am I thinking and acting like a leader?” Be realistic and set a goal to practice one strategy each day of the week and then give your organization a bold, swift kick toward recovery, inspiring others to do the same. Gather your team, share this article, and ask EVERYONE to lead from the inside out and champion these strategies one day at a time.
Getting through the current crisis demands more than conventional thinking and business-as-usual. It calls for bold, gutsy, and ambitious leadership. It means everyone must play hard and be accountable to shaking it up. Success will elude those who are unwilling to engage like crazy and develop leaders at all levels.