One of my favorite philosophies from Jim Collins is “Great Vision without Great People is Irrelevant.” A leader cannot run a company by themselves. No matter how brilliant a vision is devised or the strategy to accomplish it, it cannot be executed without great people. The first step in any culture is to focus on finding the right people to have around you. People you would want around you, if the company hit a major obstacle, you would feel these people would find a way to get through the obstacle and have your back. Some of the attributes include:
They have values that are in line with the company’s values. They demonstrate those values through their actions, even when no one is looking. In addition, they have a desire to make themselves better. As the company grows, they need to grow to keep up with the changes needed to reach the greater vision. They assume accountability for their area of responsibility and supports those who have complimentary objectives. They accept responsibility for mistakes that they make, (Which in a growing company, mistakes will be made) and take action to improve processes and themselves. In addition, they give credit to others when things go well. They are more focused on developing other people rather than getting credit. The result speak for themselves and that provides their inner satisfaction. Every year, the right people are growing and getting better. They have an inner drive to get better and the right culture provides them an opportunity to grow.
What percentage of your leaders and team members have these attributes? How can you increase the percentage to 90%?
Jonathan Jones (Jonathan.jones@vistagechair.com or 314-608-0783) is a CEO peer group chair/coach for Vistage International.