Thoughts from Guy
IMPACT – The Fundamental Work of Leadership
Leadership is about getting results. Whether you are leading a business, a bakery or a band, results are what count. This begs the question, how can leaders produce exceptional results? I have found that effective leadership – that which produces superior results – in a product of six factures that are captured by the acronym, IMPACT. This acronym represents the fundamental work of leaders – what they must pay attention to order to achieve superior results. The foundation for the IMPACT model is trust – trust in oneself, trust in others, and trust between oneself and others.
Individual Capabilities: Similar to great athletes and musicians, exceptional leaders are continual learners who constantly strive to develop their capabilities. These capabilities include personal qualities – traits that determine how a person approaches the world – as well as professional competencies – those skills that contribute to effective leadership. Personal qualities include learning orientation, consistency in behavior, insightfulness and resilience. Professional competencies include emotional intelligence, listening skills, strategic abilities and influence skills. While executive leadership is a complex effort that calls upon a wide variety of competencies, executives don’t have to be great at them all. They must be proficient with 3-4 competencies applicable to their role, and must avoid a fatal flaw in any essential competency.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by inspiring others to be learners. This helps create a learning organization where people are continually enhancing their knowledge and skill.
Motivation: A leader’s personal motives have a profound impact on their behavior and on the results they achieve. When viewed across a wide variety of leadership roles, the following motives are most conducive to effective leadership:
- Need for Results: the drive and determination to get things done with/through others
- Willingness to Make Tough Decisions: the courage to make difficult choices and take ownership for decisions
- Selflessness: the ability to commit to outcomes, individuals and organizations beyond one’s self-interest
- Humility: the ability to listen to others’ input, credit others for success and learn from experience.
Leaders also must ensure their personal needs/motives do not overshadow the needs of the organization or situation. Personal needs for control, status, affection, perfection, etc. can be liabilities if expressed too strongly (for more examples, see my earlier POV, “It’s Not About You”). If leaders allow their self-serving needs to take precedence over team or organization needs, this will severely impair their ability to inspire followership and achieve results.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by reinforcing positive motives and bringing forth the best in others.
People: A primary responsibility of leadership is to select and retain people whose values fit those of the organization and whose skills meet current and future needs. Empowerment is essential: leaders must give people responsibility and inspire them to perform at their best.
Leaders must create an environment where people can develop their knowledge and skills, particularly so their organizations can meet new challenges and their people can fulfill their desires to grow professionally.
Beyond hiring the right people, the success of any leader depends on building an effective team. A team is the vehicle through which focus, coordination and execution are achieved. A strong team also can provide support to a leader’s efforts to make tough decisions.
Ultimately, leaders must hold people accountable for performance and behavior. Leaders must reward positive behavior and results, but also must remove people from their teams who do not share the values of the organization or who cannot perform effectively in their roles. In the seminal article on business leadership, “Why CEOs Fail,” Ram Charan demonstrates that CEOs most often fail due to poor execution, which is most often the result of their failure to deal with people issues.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by building synergy and commitment among teammates, who in turn can strengthen their contribution to the business.
Alignment: Leaders must ensure understanding and support for the defining elements of their business, including:
- Purpose (why we exist)
- Values (what we stand for and how we’ll behave)
- Vision (where we are going)
- Strategy (how we will fulfill our vision)
- Goals/imperatives (how we will pursue our strategy)
- Individual responsibilities and expectations (who will do what).
C-suite leaders must make sure their boards and management teams are aligned. Leaders at all levels must ensure their teams are focused on these defining elements.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by emphasizing purpose, values, goals, etc. in a way that creates a sense of meaning among followers.
Connection: Great leaders are those who form strong connections with others. This connection takes the form of continual communication with their teams and constituents, discussing, clarifying and reinforcing the defining elements of their business (see above). It also is manifest in a genuine commitment to the personal and professional well-being of others. Communication and commitment are essential for promoting clarity, ensuring focus and strengthening others’ dedication to the success of the whole.
Connection occurs not only via words, but also through demeanor, decisions and actions, all of which will be felt and interpreted by others. Because of this, leaders must be aware of being “in role” and must consciously manage their impact.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by communicating and connecting with others – through words, actions and demeanor – in a way that inspires others and reinforces their dedication to the organization.
Taking Action: Ultimately, leaders must listen to their teams, weigh options and act decisively. Whether decisions are made individually or via a team process, leaders must move people to decision and action. Finally, leaders must ensure follow-up through which results can be assessed and learning can take place from successes and failures.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by ensuring the achievement of meaningful results – those that fulfill their organization’s fundamental purpose – and discussing results in an open, candid manner that yields insights and future direction.
IMPACT is shorthand for the factors that underlie leadership success. Exceptional leadership begins with developing one’s capabilities and bringing forth the best of one’s personal motives. To achieve superior results, leaders must select and develop people of the right character and skill, and inspire commitment to the well-being of the whole. Finally, leaders must forge teams where colleagues trust each other, are aligned in their efforts and are accountable for results. IMPACT represents the fundamental work of leadership.
© 2015 Guy W. Cornelius, PhD
Individual Capabilities: Similar to great athletes and musicians, exceptional leaders are continual learners who constantly strive to develop their capabilities. These capabilities include personal qualities – traits that determine how a person approaches the world – as well as professional competencies – those skills that contribute to effective leadership. Personal qualities include learning orientation, consistency in behavior, insightfulness and resilience. Professional competencies include emotional intelligence, listening skills, strategic abilities and influence skills. While executive leadership is a complex effort that calls upon a wide variety of competencies, executives don’t have to be great at them all. They must be proficient with 3-4 competencies applicable to their role, and must avoid a fatal flaw in any essential competency.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by inspiring others to be learners. This helps create a learning organization where people are continually enhancing their knowledge and skill.
Motivation: A leader’s personal motives have a profound impact on their behavior and on the results they achieve. When viewed across a wide variety of leadership roles, the following motives are most conducive to effective leadership:
- Need for Results: the drive and determination to get things done with/through others
- Willingness to Make Tough Decisions: the courage to make difficult choices and take ownership for decisions
- Selflessness: the ability to commit to outcomes, individuals and organizations beyond one’s self-interest
- Humility: the ability to listen to others’ input, credit others for success and learn from experience.
Leaders also must ensure their personal needs/motives do not overshadow the needs of the organization or situation. Personal needs for control, status, affection, perfection, etc. can be liabilities if expressed too strongly (for more examples, see my earlier POV, “It’s Not About You”). If leaders allow their self-serving needs to take precedence over team or organization needs, this will severely impair their ability to inspire followership and achieve results.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by reinforcing positive motives and bringing forth the best in others.
People: A primary responsibility of leadership is to select and retain people whose values fit those of the organization and whose skills meet current and future needs. Empowerment is essential: leaders must give people responsibility and inspire them to perform at their best.
Leaders must create an environment where people can develop their knowledge and skills, particularly so their organizations can meet new challenges and their people can fulfill their desires to grow professionally.
Beyond hiring the right people, the success of any leader depends on building an effective team. A team is the vehicle through which focus, coordination and execution are achieved. A strong team also can provide support to a leader’s efforts to make tough decisions.
Ultimately, leaders must hold people accountable for performance and behavior. Leaders must reward positive behavior and results, but also must remove people from their teams who do not share the values of the organization or who cannot perform effectively in their roles. In the seminal article on business leadership, “Why CEOs Fail,” Ram Charan demonstrates that CEOs most often fail due to poor execution, which is most often the result of their failure to deal with people issues.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by building synergy and commitment among teammates, who in turn can strengthen their contribution to the business.
Alignment: Leaders must ensure understanding and support for the defining elements of their business, including:
- Purpose (why we exist)
- Values (what we stand for and how we’ll behave)
- Vision (where we are going)
- Strategy (how we will fulfill our vision)
- Goals/imperatives (how we will pursue our strategy)
- Individual responsibilities and expectations (who will do what).
C-suite leaders must make sure their boards and management teams are aligned. Leaders at all levels must ensure their teams are focused on these defining elements.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by emphasizing purpose, values, goals, etc. in a way that creates a sense of meaning among followers.
Connection: Great leaders are those who form strong connections with others. This connection takes the form of continual communication with their teams and constituents, discussing, clarifying and reinforcing the defining elements of their business (see above). It also is manifest in a genuine commitment to the personal and professional well-being of others. Communication and commitment are essential for promoting clarity, ensuring focus and strengthening others’ dedication to the success of the whole.
Connection occurs not only via words, but also through demeanor, decisions and actions, all of which will be felt and interpreted by others. Because of this, leaders must be aware of being “in role” and must consciously manage their impact.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by communicating and connecting with others – through words, actions and demeanor – in a way that inspires others and reinforces their dedication to the organization.
Taking Action: Ultimately, leaders must listen to their teams, weigh options and act decisively. Whether decisions are made individually or via a team process, leaders must move people to decision and action. Finally, leaders must ensure follow-up through which results can be assessed and learning can take place from successes and failures.
Leaders can “take it to the next level” by ensuring the achievement of meaningful results – those that fulfill their organization’s fundamental purpose – and discussing results in an open, candid manner that yields insights and future direction.
IMPACT is shorthand for the factors that underlie leadership success. Exceptional leadership begins with developing one’s capabilities and bringing forth the best of one’s personal motives. To achieve superior results, leaders must select and develop people of the right character and skill, and inspire commitment to the well-being of the whole. Finally, leaders must forge teams where colleagues trust each other, are aligned in their efforts and are accountable for results. IMPACT represents the fundamental work of leadership.
© 2015 Guy W. Cornelius, PhD