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Thinking long-term;
Creating purpose;
Building trust;
Seeing the whole picture.
Long-term is the true measure of success
In this economy, many organizations are under pressure to take immediate action to survive the
short term. But true prosperity is never won in the short term. In fact, the current economic
crisis happened when too many leaders managed only for short-term results.
Taking the long view is by no means a luxury. Given the choice, most stakeholders would not
sacrifice long-term success for short-term gain. Customers want products they can rely on;
employees want job security and to know that pensions will be there when they retire; suppliers
want stable business relations. Even investors, burnt by market gyrations, seek predictable long-
term results. The key to sustainable performance is to be mindful of the short term, but focused
on the long term.
Purpose motivates people and drives performance
A well-articulated purpose creates an environment where people feel connected to the
organization’s values. And when individuals respect that purpose, they can be at their best. It is
impossible to motivate people who do not care; individuals who feel they must leave their
personal values at the doorstep of their workplace also relinquish their sense of identity.
Having a sense of purpose frees individual initiative, which then raises the organization’s
potential. When human values and the organization’s purpose come together, everyone is
rowing in the same direction. That is what builds long-term success. Purpose and dignity are
higher, more effective motivators than greed or fear.
Trust is the catalyst for change and new ideas
Change is invariably uncomfortable, at least at first. It is usually surrounded by anxiety and a
perceived loss of control. It is a time when people’s dignity is easily offended and when
resistance (whether passive or outright) is readily triggered. To respond constructively to
change, individuals need to feel that they matter, have a voice or at the very least know that
their interests are truly taken into consideration. In short, they need to trust their organizations.
In the new economy of accelerated change, trust is a key to success. As Stephen M. R. Covey
demonstrates in his book The Speed of Trust, trust is actually a competitive advantage; high
trust organizations, reports Covey, outperform their low-trust counterparts by a factor of three.
If trust has such an out-sized impact on an organization’s ability to adjust and succeed, what are
the implications for leadership?
Every leader should remember that trust is a delicate asset to manage. As we all know from
experience, it takes time to build trust just a moment to destroy it. To promote a culture of trust,
leaders must demonstrate it in their daily words and actions.
What is the “Whole Picture?”
Today’s accelerating pace of change has forever altered the role of leadership. No longer can the
leader be the person who has all the answers and orders subordinates to carry them out. We
live in a time when everyone has access to more information than ever, but paradoxically no one
individual can process or integrate the sheer volume of information or understand its complexity.
Instead of more information, organizations need more “wisdom”; and the best way to find it is by
tapping all stakeholders to think about their common future.
The challenge is to integrate all aspects of the organization, (both tangible and intangible) into a
coherent picture, giving proper weight to the factors that escape the accountants’ tally, such as
trust, culture and values.
Our holistic approach is to bring the entire group together to focus on the whole picture for
the long-term success.
(For an illustration of our model, see our Business Vitality Scan™)
back to top
Creating purpose;
Building trust;
Seeing the whole picture.
Long-term is the true measure of success
In this economy, many organizations are under pressure to take immediate action to survive the
short term. But true prosperity is never won in the short term. In fact, the current economic
crisis happened when too many leaders managed only for short-term results.
Taking the long view is by no means a luxury. Given the choice, most stakeholders would not
sacrifice long-term success for short-term gain. Customers want products they can rely on;
employees want job security and to know that pensions will be there when they retire; suppliers
want stable business relations. Even investors, burnt by market gyrations, seek predictable long-
term results. The key to sustainable performance is to be mindful of the short term, but focused
on the long term.
Purpose motivates people and drives performance
A well-articulated purpose creates an environment where people feel connected to the
organization’s values. And when individuals respect that purpose, they can be at their best. It is
impossible to motivate people who do not care; individuals who feel they must leave their
personal values at the doorstep of their workplace also relinquish their sense of identity.
Having a sense of purpose frees individual initiative, which then raises the organization’s
potential. When human values and the organization’s purpose come together, everyone is
rowing in the same direction. That is what builds long-term success. Purpose and dignity are
higher, more effective motivators than greed or fear.
Trust is the catalyst for change and new ideas
Change is invariably uncomfortable, at least at first. It is usually surrounded by anxiety and a
perceived loss of control. It is a time when people’s dignity is easily offended and when
resistance (whether passive or outright) is readily triggered. To respond constructively to
change, individuals need to feel that they matter, have a voice or at the very least know that
their interests are truly taken into consideration. In short, they need to trust their organizations.
In the new economy of accelerated change, trust is a key to success. As Stephen M. R. Covey
demonstrates in his book The Speed of Trust, trust is actually a competitive advantage; high
trust organizations, reports Covey, outperform their low-trust counterparts by a factor of three.
If trust has such an out-sized impact on an organization’s ability to adjust and succeed, what are
the implications for leadership?
Every leader should remember that trust is a delicate asset to manage. As we all know from
experience, it takes time to build trust just a moment to destroy it. To promote a culture of trust,
leaders must demonstrate it in their daily words and actions.
What is the “Whole Picture?”
Today’s accelerating pace of change has forever altered the role of leadership. No longer can the
leader be the person who has all the answers and orders subordinates to carry them out. We
live in a time when everyone has access to more information than ever, but paradoxically no one
individual can process or integrate the sheer volume of information or understand its complexity.
Instead of more information, organizations need more “wisdom”; and the best way to find it is by
tapping all stakeholders to think about their common future.
The challenge is to integrate all aspects of the organization, (both tangible and intangible) into a
coherent picture, giving proper weight to the factors that escape the accountants’ tally, such as
trust, culture and values.
Our holistic approach is to bring the entire group together to focus on the whole picture for
the long-term success.
(For an illustration of our model, see our Business Vitality Scan™)
back to top
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