Skill Sets of a Leader + Alignment
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes and from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences. They lead and influence in a variety of different ways. There has to be some common ground between these different leaders though, right?
We believe that there are three skill sets that every leader needs to have: Vision, Alignment, and Execution.
Vision is the goal, the final destination that you see for your team or your company. Your vision may change and grow over time as you achieve your goals or the world changes, but it is always there and it gives you something to aim for.
Alignment is what we’d like to focus on today, so we’ll get to that in a minute. Execution is the actual people and processes you put into place to help you realize your vision. Let’s use a road trip as an example. You envision yourself having reached your destination safely and in a timely manner without any setbacks or bumps in the road. Your execution is the actual driving and staying on schedule. So what, then, is alignment?
Think of alignment as what you do to get your team aligned with your vision. Make them see what you see and get them to believe in it, to be passionate about it. How? We thought you’d never ask.
Repeat Your Vision
Creating and sharing your vision with your team is not enough. Your vision should remain top of mind all the time. It may seem annoying or over the top, but reinforce your vision during conversations and in meetings. This will help to get everyone to speak the same language.
Meet In Rhythm
A great way to align teams with your vision is to help them take a step back and see how their daily work is contributing to the bigger picture. You can do this by meeting in rhythm. Schedule monthly, quarterly, annually, or all of the above meetings to review what individuals and the company as a whole have accomplished. It’s a meeting that is dedicated to the vision, alignment, and execution.
Share Successes
Sometimes it’s difficult to take a moment to bask in your glory when you’re always looking forward. When people hit or exceed the goals that have been set, they should be celebrated. You don’t have to embarrass them by shouting about how great they are in front of everyone but there’s nothing wrong with taking a second to applaud them. Come up with a creative way to celebrate when big milestones are hit. Not only will your team feel appreciated, but they will also be motivated to keep crushing it.
Whether your team is all in the same building or spread out around the globe, aligning them with your vision is key to success. Alignment is a lot more about day-to-day communication than it is about lists of core principles. Lay out your vision and then create an environment that reinforces it regularly.
If alignment is something your organization is seeking direction on, contact us! We can help you and your team identify where the misalignment is and how to get it back on the right track.