The second habit Stephen Covey discusses in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is to “begin with the end in mind.” This habit is particularly important for leaders; you can’t exactly lead well if you have no idea where you’re going.
"Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you."
- Dr. Stephen R. Covey
There is a story in the Mahabharata about the Guru Dronacharya, who set before his students a wooden bird as an archery target. Before allowing them to shoot, however, Drona required them to describe what they saw. Each described the scene before them: trees, branches, leaves, and the wooden bird - all save one. Arjuna said, “I can only see the eye of the bird." He alone was allowed to shoot, and he hit the target squarely.
What I like about this story is that it highlights three absolutely essential elements of on-target leadership: focus, communication, and execution.
- Focus. Crystal clear focus on your end goals - both personally and professionally - can be the difference between achieving those goals and wandering aimlessly through life, sort of hoping you’ll achieve them someday. Resources abound on how to create purpose, vision, and mission statements, so I won’t belabour that here, but the point is simple: know where you want to go, and have a plan for how to get there. It’s not a precise science - life will happen and you’ll need to adapt as you go along - but it’s not rocket science either.
Think of a mission statement like an old school roadmap (or the map app on your smartphone). You know where you’re going (your goals) - but the map is there to consult whenever you need it, to help you course-correct when necessary, and to keep you headed in the right direction.
Why focus matters: If you don’t stay focused on the end in mind, the number of rabbit trails you could go down are endless, and you’ll find yourself - or your company - in a far different place than you meant to end up. (This can be true across the board, from ethics to revenue targets - as a case in point, consider Wells Fargo’s ongoing troubles, or Volkswagen’s emissions scandal.) At the end of the day, having a worthy goal around which you and your team are united (and actually wanting to achieve it) is what will keep you focused.
KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING, AND HAVE A PLAN TO GET THERE.
See only the eye of the bird.
- Communication. Being able to communicate your goals is another key element to on-target leadership. Whether it’s in a weekly stand-up on Mondays, an end-of-week-review to see how your team’s time and priorities are aligning, or a mandatory monthly town hall - talking about where you’re going and why will help everyone (including you) stay on track and avoid unnecessary detours. You and your team will find it easier to prioritize decisions, and to make the right decisions in high stakes situations (rather than reacting illogically out of fear in the moment). You’ll also find the motivation to do the things no one particularly wants to do - because the goals are clear.
Why communication matters: No matter how large or small your team is, without clear, consistent communication of corporate goals, distractions will abound. If you don’t communicate the end in mind clearly, no one will know what to do - including you.
KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING, AND HAVE A PLAN TO GET THERE.
See only the eye of the bird.
Why communication matters: No matter how large or small your team is, without clear, consistent communication of corporate goals, distractions will abound. If you don’t communicate the end in mind clearly, no one will know what to do - including you.
KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING, HAVE A PLAN TO GET THERE, AND COMMUNICATE IT CLEARLY.
See only the eye of the bird, and state what you see.
3. Execution. Having goals and talking about them are both good steps in the right direction, but neither is worth much without actual execution. This is where Covey’s first habit comes back into play: Be proactive. Get things done. And, as a leader, hold the members of your team accountable for their responsibilities.
Have agendas for your meetings, and come out of every one with a set of next actions. (Pro tip: if the point of a meeting is not to solve a problem, to communicate something clearly and concisely, to provide a forum for questions, or to create a plan, it probably could have been an email.)
Why execution matters: Strategic planning is good only to a point. Without action, innovative ideas will never become actual innovation.
KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING, HAVE A PLAN TO GET THERE, COMMUNICATE IT CLEARLY, AND ACT.
See only the eye of the bird and state what you see; then, take aim and hit the target squarely.
All it takes is keeping the end in mind.
Bill Edgar is a Vistage Florida Chair in North Central Florida. He consistently works to aid each of his members in becoming better leaders, making better decisions, and getting better results. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.
