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Leadership
Development Is Supervisory as well as non-supervisory employees who can maximize individual, group, and organizational performance are becoming increasingly valuable in the workplace. Such employees embrace a strategic vision, see challenges as opportunities, and seek innovative solutions to problems. They see how everything they do is related to the people and processes within the organization and learn ways to interact in a manner that produces positive results. Success in these areas requires commitment to the organization's mission; comprehension of corporate strategic plans; maintenance of stakeholder relationships; and comprehension of how individual performance affects organizational performance. These expectations have historically been required of people in supervisory or managerial positions. As such, training and other developmental activities were reserved for those with certain titles or assignments. Today, administrative, clerical, and technical employees are required to look beyond their individual roles and make the connection to peers, colleagues, supervisors, stakeholders, customers, and community constituents. Take the case of Sounds True, a company profiled in the June Issue of Workforce Magazine. A 9.3 million dollar company, Sounds True produces spoken-word audiotapes and CDs on topics related to world religion, psychology, and alternative medicine. Driven by spiritual values, employees did not concentrate on the critical drivers of financial success such as cost of goods, profit margins, product lines, or product formats. However, last year, the company lost money for the first time in 15 years. The result was employee layoffs in several profitable divisions and accusations of "selling out" to capitalization from employees who chose to leave on their own. Sounds True realized that future success depended on all employees understanding the language and process involved in setting goals, producing products, and customer focus. To create this awareness, the company trained all employees in how to become more "business-minded." The end result was that everyone now gained a broader understanding of what it took to achieve positive results and desirable outcomes. In essence, these employees had to learn and apply the leadership skills of visionary thinking, strategic planning, and goal alignment. They had to move from thinking solely in terms of individual performance to considering how their everyday actions impacted organizational goals. As such, they were better able anticipate problems and take advantage of opportunities at all levels of the company-individual, group, organization. Whether you are a vice president, department manager, team leader, or mailroom clerk, it's important to know how what you do affects individuals and processes. In other words, everyone is a leader. Therefore, leadership development is not just for managers anymore. ~~<<>>~~ PERMISSION TO REPRINT: Articles, Tips, and Tools can be reprinted in company newsletters or magazines. If placed electronically, a Live Link to Dr. Brown's website must be included. Please use the following credit for every item: Dr. Barbara Brown shows organizations how to use High-Performance Leadership to create the kind of links among people, goals & performance that produce positive results. For more tips, visit: www.DrBarbaraBrown.com or email: Barbara@DrBarbaraBrown.com.
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