Giuliani says that ‘change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy’ and therefore brings to light that to transition through change while staying in alignment with the vision you must be strategic in your thinking.
Rudy Giuilani, whom most know by his profile as Mayor of NYC during 9/11 (but who actually built his reputation in the 1980s as a prosecutor against the Mafia), is a man who understands strategy. Giuilani says that ‘change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy’ – therefore bringing to light that, to transition through change while staying in alignment with the vision, you must be strategic in your thinking. Friends and colleagues who are CEOs from various industries – Franchising, Not-for-Profits, Construction and Professional Services – all agree that there are certain traits and habits you require to establish good leadership habits to make the vision a reality.
Here are 10 habits that we came up with for you:
#1 – Big Picture Assessment
When assessing results, you need a 360-degree picture of your current results in the context of achieving your goals. This means you leave no room for ‘smoke and mirrors’ to cloud your judgment or your plans for improvement.
#2 – No ‘Re-Inventing the Wheel’
Value past successes and strategies that have worked for you. Don’t feel the need to re-invent the wheel if something is working. Results matter more to than ‘activity for the sake of activity’.
#3 – Daily Review
They say that millionaires review their goals once a day and billionaires review their goals 10 times a day. Strategic thinkers plan time daily to review their results in accordance with their goals and make adjustments as you go.
#4 – Value Perspectives
Smart leaders know the importance of surrounding themselves with people who share the same values and think the same way therefore, regularly ask for feedback, have conversations about new ways of doing things. Listen and consider.
#5 – Criteria Seekers
Strategic leaders are constantly assessing and modeling ‘how’ others are getting results. They look for the details in what caused ‘that’ to happen. They are quick to look for the strategy for getting an improved result…
#6 – Fast Decision Makers
Dynamic leaders are highly proactive because they are constantly making decisions. They understand that the more decisions they make, the quicker things happen…
#7 – Reset Button
Because they make fast decisions, sometimes they get it wrong therefore they are resilient in the face of problems, fires, and adversities. Therefore, they have built a habit of ‘re-setting’ their mindset and attitude quickly.
#8 – Thinking Chair
I call it the ‘thinking chair’ because strategic leaders carve out time to think, review and reflect. Most successful leaders have a ‘filing’ system for their ideas whether it’s a leadership journal, notebook or a regular conversation with a trusted friend which allows them to process and gain insight into the happenings of their day to learn from.
#9 – Patient in their Impatience
Strategic leaders understand that alignment is a ‘slow burn’ effect and that to turn a ship is more delicate than turning a life-boat.
#10 – Learning & Growing
Dynamic leaders understand that the success of their vision relies on their ability to keep developing as a leader therefore they are constantly looking for new ways to grow their leadership capacity.
The success or failure of any enterprise is how successfully you can lead others to translate the vision through the core filters of 1. Management Teams; 2. Employee Culture; 3. Customer Experience and 4. Leadership Development.
Every leader should complete a Vision Alignment Diagnostic at least once a year to determine how well your people and your strategy is aligned with the vision. Contact Ilse on 0427 355 138 or e-mail ilse@purposesync.com to arrange a meeting.
