And The Beat Goes On…

Most of my career has been about leading change; often, it was to fix something that wasn’t working.

One of these opportunities – inside a Fortune 10 company – resulted in what I call an “intrapreneurial” venture. It had all of the makings of a start-up without the need for raising funds. (It was fully budgeted – yay!)

To support the needed outcome, we created processes, developed systems, and hired almost 200 people. We nourished relationships with our suppliers as well as with our internal customers. We were successful in our endeavors.

But … our success was not based on the processes, the systems, the number of people and/or the specific relationships. The foundation of our success was the shared vision of our desired impact, a community who helped to co-create the approach, and joint accountability for the actions taken. That type of leadership ultimately got the job done. It’s The LAITHOS Way™ element of Transform Your Horizons. This part of the leadership journey outlines when a leader paves a path for others to follow.

Here’s what I know: All of the ideas, processes and systems in place won’t suffice if a team doesn’t feel ownership. And, without ownership, movement forward is impeded or stopped altogether. With team ownership, it no longer is about a single person leading the charge; rather, that leader’s role evolves into one of removing obstacles, asking tough questions before others ask them, encouraging the team to step into their power, and reminding them of the vision when or if it ever starts to blur.

The best litmus test to determine whether a leader has paved a path for others to follow is when a leader leaves the organization. Does the organization lack innovative thinking or feel disconnected? Is it confused on what to prioritize? Or, does it never miss a beat?

Always activating, always moving forward … those are signs of a healthy legacy in the making.

This Week: If you are leading a team, how can you activate a deeper-connected movement in your team? If you are part of a team, how are you taking ownership to make strides forward?

In Next Week’s Post: How an inspiring vision sets the stage that can change everything.