As CEO, President, Executive Director you have a unique and special role in the company or organization.
You are the leader driving the train.
Your team is following your cues, picking up on both your conscious and unconscious intentions.
There are only so many things you can focus on in a day. What gets your attention?
Is it your email?
Is it the person walking into your office?
Is it the next appointment on your calendar?
Is it follow-ups from the last half dozen meetings?
Is it planning for your next round of meetings?
Given your enormous responsibilities how do you best focus your attention? What is your real job here?
Ron Wilder in his book Aligned Action says the main job of the CEO or Executive Director is creating sustainable high performance.
I agree.
The phrase is useful because it focuses the mind beyond the minutia and fire-fighting that owners and executives struggle with daily.
What is sustainable high performance?
Sustainable high performance is when all team members (you, employees, board members, partners, contractors, consultants) are continuously creating value within the organization. Everyone is consciously moving toward an optimal state of being in relation to the business.
Your job is to create the conditions for that to happen and flourish.
Think for a moment about where that is not happening now.
Then consider, what it might mean for your organization if you could change that so that there is alignment throughout? Imagine:
• You are clear where you are leading the organization and this vision is shared by your team.
• You and each team member are focused with precision on business objectives and are actively creating value as you move forward.
• Communication is open and has pathways supporting forward momentum.
• The value you are creating in the company is measurable.
• Individuals are able to express their creativity and unique abilities. Innovation is a natural outcome.
• The value being created has limitless potential.
Why is this important?
Life is short. Business and work consume much of our time. Why shouldn’t work be full of joy, creating immeasurable value and benefit for yourself and others?
To reach this place of alignment, requires an integrated leadership approach.
There is no separation between developing your and your team’s leadership capacities and the healthy financial growth of the company. These are two sides of the same beautiful coin.
Want to dive deeper into this conversation and learn where to start?
Join us in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina this Friday, February 27th from 8 to 10 am for a nonprofit executive roundtable on The Essential Elements of Sustainable High Performance where you will have a chance to meet with your peers in a closed door session to explore this critical topic.
If you lead a for-profit business, look for a roundtable this spring.
How are you creating sustainable high performance? Please share below.
