The ability to get things done is what makes for a great business and a successful leader. But the ability to deliver on goals and project outcomes is often elusive for many businesses and the leaders within them. This weakness is the ‘Achilles heel’ that undermines the competitiveness of businesses, big and small, and can make or break leaders.
Active Knowledge Question:
Do you have a go-to approach for getting things done in your business? A tested and proven formula that you have tailored to your personal strengths and which allows you to be an outstanding leader, and no I not referring to agile or similar.
Someone Who Delivers
Being able to deliver, to get things done, is vital if you want to be successful as a leader and in life. This means mastering, to a sufficient level, people and processes. The people part is about you and how you build the traits that will enable and empower you, and then extend these attributes through others. Today in Part One, we will consider the people element of ‘A Leader Who Can Deliver’ and next week in Part Two, we will look into the processes.
But before we start let’s nail a critical cornerstone and that is motive. If your motive is seeded in self-interest – wealth, position, power – then you will never achieve your full potential. The bias that such a motive brings with it will always undermine unity and it’s only through unity that full potential – yours and others – can be drawn to the forefront, sustained and compounded on.
It is this unity that allows you to be a leader who delivers both in business and personally.
It Starts With You
The ability to deliver is a cultural trait but also a skill. It’s reflected in an attitude of always getting things done, always moving forward, and overcoming all the excuses and barriers that can arise; and being focused on the goal that is set.
Stagnation from indecision or inaction is the Achilles heel – the vulnerability – of every leader and business. It can only be guarded against by seeding your, and your business’s, DNA with momentum so that growth and change are in your nature and you both become unstoppable.
And all of this starts with leadership. Your leadership and the leadership of those whom you appoint. So what type of leadership seeds a trait and culture of delivery and momentum? The answer is one of worthy leadership; and not one led through self-interest.
A leader who can deliver is one who firstly develops what I refer to as the achiever trait within themselves. They themselves are an achiever and therefore not only set the example but understand what it takes and recognises these traits in others. Achievers think about what traits underpin enduring success and work to strengthen these elements within their lives. What are the characteristics of an achiever? These are their core traits:
- Humility: allowing them to learn, to listen and to serve others. To be able to promote the strengths of everyone else involved in the business or a project and not to place their self-interest at the forefront.
- Gratitude: an ‘attitude of gratitude’, allowing them to wake up each morning with a positive outlook on life and an excitement about what that day will hold and what can be achieved.
- Words: An appreciation of the power of words to create and to destroy. And a willingness to speak into their own lives and all those around them with an encouragement to draw their best to the forefront always.
- Beliefs: A world view that allows them to respond to and interpret events in a manner that does not undermine their ability to move forward with an energy and passion.
- Body: A daily care regiment that brings a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual strength to their lives and enables them to operate at their peak performance.
- Play: A willingness to dream, to imagine the impossible, to play with what could be.
So what does a person who is an achiever look like? Maybe these are some of the outward characteristics you will notice:
- Self-confident but not arrogant
- Strong but relaxed
- Articulate in purpose
- Clear in beliefs
- Renewing and uplifting in words
- Grateful in life
- Giving, Humble, Playful.
If you want to become an achiever, someone who always delivers or if you are looking for someone who can deliver a project, an outcome in your business, then look to see who you, and they are, as a person.
From Self To Leading Others
Achievers can have a profound impact within a business and bear in mind that they likely exist throughout a business at all levels and are not just the appointed leaders. An achiever exists through the traits they personally possess, whether you have recognised them as leaders or not.
Achievers can be a light of inspiration and encouragement within a business. They are persons who:
- Do not rely upon others for their identity.
- Are open and strong and are recognised by colleagues as leaders.
- Understand the power of words and apply them to encourage themselves and others.
- Adopt habits to reinforce their success.
- Grow and connect with other successful people.
- Give thanks and give freely to others.
- Are confident but never prideful or arrogant.
And through these actions:
- Develop other people’s ability to be successful.
- Connect people within the business’s purpose and goals at the individual, team, corporate and community levels.
- Lead by example and create a culture of success through being successful themselves.
It will take courage, determination, sincerity and humanity and wisdom to become a leader who can achieve and inspire others to do likewise. What must be avoided are traits like cowardice, false pride, impulsiveness, recklessness and weak compassion – these will destroy any prospect of success.
Build the traits of an achiever, only appoint others who exhibit these traits and seed a culture of delivering and your business will accelerate faster than you thought possible.
Part Two next week will look at momentum and processes to underpin delivery.
An entirely new level of performance.
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All the best in the success of your business,
Richard Shrapnel
