LEADERSHIP AND VALUES ARE A STRATEGY

As the vision holder, entrepreneur, owner, or CEO of your company you must become the Leader. Most of your leading comes in the way of being an "Example" for others to follow in your quest to remain profitable and keep the employees employed. Albert Schweitzer stated it this way: "Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing."



Influence is more critical than your position as it brings into alignment your life, your convictions, actions, beliefs, and behaviors. You develop a Moral Authority, which sustains influence. When Moral Authority is established then your Example becomes:



- Critical

- Nonnegotiable

- Takes a lifetime to earn

- May be lost in a moment



"Example" is influence at the deepest level as it demonstrates the heart of who we are, our mind and conscience.



When you began your business you developed a MISSION STATEMENT, which stated the Fundamental purpose of the business - "Why do we exist?"



Next you determined the VALUES (CORE) for the business. The Core Values are a statement of your Attitude, your Behavior, and Character.



The third step in the beginning was your VISION which was a statement of the mid to Long-term goals. Visions are refined as the business changes to meet the day-to-day demands of the market, government regulations, competition, and other factors that influence your goals.



Trust: The highest form of human motivation. It brings out the best in people. Trust is active, not passive. Trust is not just a belief, but belief in action. When you trust people, it's because you believe they have on going characteristics that permit you to trust them.



Honesty: Each of us wants to do well, wants to be honest, and wants to be more than we are. We respond to people who call on us to be our best.



Integrity: Is the value we place on ourselves. It is our ability to make and keep commitments to ourselves. "We begin to walk our talk." Everyone has the yearning for trust, honesty, and integrity.



The basic root of the word integrity is WHOLENESS. In order to be whole as human beings we have to make sure we are givers and not takers. We have to be sure that when we are doing something, we are not just doing it for our own gain. A win/win environment should be created by our actions. We must always find a way to stretch ourselves to meet our own and other's standards simultaneously.



Personal integrity generates trust and is the basis of many different kinds of deposits. One of the most important ways to manifest integrity is to be loyal to those who are not present.



Integrity in your organization allows employees throughout to exercise the individual leadership that is so critical to the company's success. You should develop a statement that says "I am not willing to look the other way when an employee is off base with regard to integrity on the grounds that they're making such a wonderful technical or professional contribution that we can't afford to live without them." It's an easy choice. They must comply with our values or find a better fit with another company. Integrity and performance are not at the opposite ends of a continuum.

Individuals and businesses are voicing concern for and taking action against behaviors that compromises the integrity of our fellow citizens and the environment that supports us all.



There is emerging a new business player who believes that business responsibility is not limited to meeting shareholders' anticipated return on investment. There are many stakeholders in any single company and success is contingent upon honoring an organization's ethical and moral obligations to all stakeholders.



Given the increasing competitive environment and the rapid rate of change, we need more flexible organizations and new ways to lead in order to maximize the contributions of all people. Today's employees want to have a voice and make a difference. The basis for Stakeholders contributions begins to surface when they know and believe in themselves and the worthiness of what they are doing.



The power to accomplish now comes from the ability to develop trust and honesty, to build collaborative teams, and to empower every team member to participate fully.



LEADERSHIP IS A STRATEGY

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat." Unknown