15 Mission-Critical Principles
1.?? ?Articulate a Vision. Formulate a clear and persuasive vision and communicate it to all members of the enterprise.
2.?? ?Think and Act Strategically. Set forth a pragmatic strategy for achieving that vision both short- and long-term, and ensure that it is widely understood; consider all the players, and anticipate reactions and resistance before they are manifest.
3.?? ?Honor the Room. Frequently express your confidence in and support for those who work with and for you.
4.?? ?Take Charge. Embrace a bias for action, of taking responsibility even if it is not formally delegated, particularly if you are well positioned to make a difference.
5.?? ?Act Decisively. Make good and timely decisions, and ensure that they are executed.
6.?? ?Communicate Persuasively. Communicate in ways that people will not forget; simplicity and clarity of expression help.
7.?? ?Motivate the Troops. Appreciate the distinctive intentions that people bring, and then build on those diverse motives to draw the best from each.
8.?? ?Embrace the Front Lines. Delegate authority except for strategic decisions, and stay close to those most directly engaged with the work of the enterprise.
9.?? ?Build Leadership in Others. Develop leadership throughout the organization.
10.?? ?Manage Relations. Build enduring personal ties with those who look to you, and work to harness the feelings and passions of the workplace.
11.?? ?Identify Personal Implications. Help everybody appreciate the impact that the vision and strategy are likely to have on their own work and future with the firm.
12.?? ?Convey Your Character. Through gesture, commentary, and accounts, ensure that others appreciate that you are a person of integrity.
13.?? ?Dampen Over-Optimism. Counter the hubris of success, focus attention on latent threats and unresolved problems, and protect against the tendency for managers to engage in unwarranted risk.
14.?? ?Build a Diverse Top Team. Leaders need to take final responsibility, but leadership is also a team sport best played with an able roster of those collectively capable of resolving all the key challenges.
15.?? ?Place Common Interest First. In setting strategy, communicating vision, and reaching decisions, common purpose comes first, personal self-interest last.
Here are sample prompts for each of the precepts:
1.?? ?Articulate a Vision.
??? ?Do my direct reports see the forest, not just the trees?
??? ?Does everyone in the firm know not only where we are going, but why?
??? ?Is the destination compelling and appealing?
2.?? ?Think and Act Strategically.
??? ?Do we have a realistic plan both for creating short-term results and for mapping out the future?
??? ?Have we considered all the players and anticipated every roadblock?
??? ?Has everybody embraced?and can everybody explain?the firm?s competitive strategy and value drivers?
3.?? ?Honor the Room.
??? ?Do those in the room know that you respect and value their talents and efforts?
??? ?Have you made it clear that their upward guidance is always sought?
??? ?Is there a sense of engagement on the front lines, and do they see themselves as ?us,? not ?them??
4.?? ?Take Charge.
??? ?Are you prepared to take charge even when you are not in charge?
??? ?If so, do you come with the capacity and position to embrace responsibility?
??? ?For the technical decisions ahead, are you ready to delegate but not abdicate?
5.?? ?Act Decisively.
??? ?Are most of your decisions both good and timely?
??? ?Do you convey your strategic intent and then let others reach their own decisions?
??? ?Is your own decision threshold close to a ?70-percent? go point?
6.?? ?Communicate Persuasively.
??? ?Are the messages about vision, strategy, and character crystal-clear and indelible?
??? ?Have you mobilized all communication channels, from purely personal to social media?
??? ?Can you deliver a compelling speech before the elevator passes the 10th floor?
7.?? ?Motivate the Troops.
??? ?Have you identified each person?s ?hot button? and focused on it?
??? ?Do you work personal pride and shared purpose into most communications?
??? ?Are you keeping some ammunition dry for those urgent moments when you need it?
8.?? ?Embrace the Front Lines.
??? ?Have you made your intent clear and empowered those around you to act?
??? ?Do you regularly meet with those in direct contact with customers?
??? ?Is everybody able to communicate their ideas and concerns to you?
9.?? ?Build Leadership in Others.
??? ?Are all managers expected to build leadership among their subordinates?
??? ?Does the company culture foster the effective exercise of leadership?
??? ?Are leadership development opportunities available to most, if not all, managers?
10.?? ?Manage Relations.
??? ?Is the hierarchy reduced to a minimum, and does bad news travel up?
??? ?Are managers self-aware and empathetic?
??? ?Are autocratic, egocentric, and irritable behaviors censured?
11.?? ?Identify Personal Implications.
??? ?Do employees appreciate how the firm?s vision and strategy impact them individually?
??? ?What private sacrifices will be necessary for achieving the common cause?
??? ?How will the plan affect people?s personal livelihood and quality of work life?
12.?? ?Convey Your Character.
??? ?Have you communicated your commitment to performance with integrity?
??? ?Do those in the organization know you as a person, and do they know your aspirations and your hopes?
??? ?Have you been in the same room with everybody who works with you within the past year?
13.?? ?Dampen Over-Optimism.
??? ?Have you prepared the organization for unlikely but extremely consequential events?
??? ?Do you celebrate success but also guard against the by-product of excess confidence?
??? ?Have you paved the way not only for quarterly results but for long-term performance?
14.?? ?Build a Diverse Top Team.
??? ?Have you drawn quality performers into your inner circle?
??? ?Are they diverse in expertise but united in purpose?
??? ?Are they as engaged and energized as you?
15.?? ?Place Common Interest First.
??? ?In all decisions, have you placed shared purpose ahead of private gain?
??? ?Do the firm?s vision and strategy embody the organization?s mission?
??? ?Are you thinking like a president or chief executive even if you are not one?
4 ?India Way? for leading business:
??? ?Holistic engagement with employees. Indian business leaders see their firms as organic enterprises where sustaining employee morale and building company culture are critical obligations. People are viewed as assets to be developed, not costs to be reduced.
??? ?Improvisation and adaptability. Improvisation is also at the heart of the India Way. In a complex, often volatile environment with few resources and much red tape, business leaders have learned to rely on their wits to circumvent recurrent and innumerable hurdles.
??? ?Creative value propositions. Given the large and intensely competitive domestic market, Indian business leaders have of necessity learned to create value propositions that satisfy the needs of demanding consumers and do so with extreme efficiency.
??? ?Broad mission and purpose. Indian business leaders place special emphasis on personal values, a vision of growth, and strategic thinking. They take pride in not only enterprise success but also family prosperity, regional advance, and national renaissance.
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The author of the aboved writing: Michael Useem
