Every time Jack Welch visited one of GE’s business units he asked: “Are you No. 1 or No. 2 in your business market yet?”
Welch was a firm leader — if your business unit wasn’t first or second in its market then you needed to fix it, sell it or close it. Being a firm leader gets results and ensures everyone knows what is expected, how to get there and where to go next.
It’s all about setting a vision, communicating that vision to inspire the team and executing on those goals. In order to do this — and do it well — leaders must have confidence, discipline, strong analytical skills and the ability to be tough.
By developing traits built around goals and a sense of purpose, leaders will soon earn trust and respect from their team and colleagues so they can win together. Let’s take a closer look at the three traits needed to become a firm leader.
Set a vision
Make sure your employees know what is expected of them and how their individual contributions tie back to the bigger picture. Employees want to know that they’re making an impact, and a clear vision lets them know what the future could look like.
Every action stems from the vision: all of the goals, metrics and execution tactics trail from the overall vision. As a leader, you must ask every day: “What are my teams doing right now to advance and achieve the vision?”
Communicate the plan
After setting the vision, it is critical to communicate it throughout your organization. Every employee needs to know how he or she contributes to the goal and what measures are linked to the goals — it’s critical to make sure you relate individual tasks back to the overall goal.
Even in today’s “always on” digital world, the most effective way to communicate something as important as your vision is with face-to-face meetings.
It is important to engage your group during meetings by asking them to determine the best way to achieve the goals. Involving your team in creating solutions will get them on board with your vision.
Execute on goals
Once you’ve set the vision and the goals needed to reach it have been communicated, it’s time to execute. In his book, “The 4 Disciplines of Execution Essentials,” Franklin Covey defines execution as a systematic process of rigorously discussing hows and whats, questioning, tenaciously following through and ensuring accountability.
Simply put, execution is where the rubber hits the road. It’s time to deliver results, not just talk about ideas. It is the hardest of the three lessons because it is where challenges get uncovered — like competing priorities, blown timelines and other day-to-day realities that eat at your vision.
Developing the traits to become an effective leader takes time. That’s why it’s never too early to prepare for a leadership role regardless of where you are in your career — even if you’re just getting started.
Bob McEwan is the executive-in-residence at Xavier University Williams College of Business. Bob, who retired as the general manager of GE Aviation’s global supply chain, continues to consult with GE Aviation, its partners and other aerospace companies in engineering and supply chain management. He also conducts leadership seminars for executives and corporate staffs. His book, “5 Fundamentals to Unleash Millennial Talent: Discover Your Inner Leader” is available on Amazon. Visit www.discoveryourinnerleader.com
