New This Month
Print Article Archives
Reprints / Subscriptions
Editorial Calendar
Media Kit
Popular Features
Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
Handouts for Customers
Top 100 Companies
Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus
Architecture Guide
Cost vs. Value Report
Good Neighbor Awards
Handouts for Customers
Top 100 Companies
Take a Quiz
30 under 30
Young Professionals
REALTOR® Emeritus | | Becoming a leader LEADING OTHERS | | ||
|  Developing Leadership Skills Communicating Like a Leader Leading Others Making Time to Lead Handling Difficult Employees Developing Your Team Dealing with Stress More Resources | The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on....” Walter Lippmann, in a 1945 column on the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the New York Herald Tribune. Developing a Company Vision In his book, On Becoming a Leader (Pereus Publishing, 1994), author Warren Bennis notes that "The manager has his eye always on the bottom line; the leader has his eye on the horizon."
In real life: Your business’s purpose isn’t to sell homes, but, for example, “to build a prosperous business by helping our friends and neighbors find their best possible home.” Notice how the vision conveys underlying goals— identifying the business as part of the community with the words, “friends and neighbors” and emphasizing the service/support view of selling with the word “help” rather than “find” or “provide.”
In real life: In the example above, notice the words “prosperous business.” This company’s goal isn’t to become the market leader, but to enjoy success and provide a good living for its owner and sales associates. Choosing Your VisionAdapted from “Define your business,” George S. Day, Executive Excellence,February 2001. TIP: Keep your vision simple. A one-line statement that can be easily grasped is the most effective way to convey your ideas. A common attribute of the best companies is shared vision and values, lived out every day, says Carla Cross, Carla Cross Seminars, Issaquah, Wash. A vision is based upon: 1. A core idea. This idea defines what a company stands for and why it exists. An organization's core idea guides and inspires its members. The core idea should also reflect the company’s principle values—for example, Nordstrom’s emphasis on personal service. TIP: Often a core idea is not stated when the company begins but comes from within as the company evolves. Often, it reflects the core purpose of the company’s leader. 2. An envisioned future. This statement captures the soul of the company, articulating the company aspires to become or achieve. Core ideology is stable and unchanging, while the company must actively work to attain the envisioned future. TIP: A key to developing a challenging envisioned future is creating what many experts call big, hairy audacious goals, or BHAGs. A BHAG is a clearly articulated, ambitious goal that applies to the entire organization and requires 10 to 30 years to complete. It forces management to think beyond the organization's current capabilities and environment, requiring them employ visionary, rather than just strategic or tactical, thinking. Finding Your BHAG When framing your BHAGs, says Carla Cross, Carla Cross Seminars, Issaquah, Wash., include a vivid description of what it will be like to achieve the BHAG. This vivid description creates an image people can carry around in their heads and makes the goal tangible. Cross's example: "We sell 100 percent of our listings and we're acknowledged as the most successful real estate company doing that in the nation." A big, hairy, audacious goal, BHAG, focuses company efforts and serves as a catalyst for team spirit. A BHAG can be:
Sharing Your Vision The hardest parts of creating a vision are embodying the vision yourself and getting everybody in your organization to live by it and make it a part of their lives. A vision has to come from the top, and must be imbued in everything the company and its leadership do. To effectively communicate your company’s vision:
TIP: To help ensure that other people in the company share your values, conduct in-depth hiring interviews to gauge whether new recruits share your values. Train current salespeople to embody your values, and operate your company according to your stated principles. 10 Sure-Fire People Motivators > | |