Where are you leading?

The key question of leadership is not WHOM you lead. It is WHERE you lead.

As a leader, ask yourself:

1. In which direction am I heading? What is my vision? Where exactly do I want to be in one, two, three years? Me as a person and the organization I am leading.
2. Is our entire leadership team exactly on the same page about the organizational direction? Have we drafted a picture of the vision? Do we know where we stand now and what is needed to close the gap? Do we all agree and commit?
3. Did we communicate the direction clearly to all employees? Did we ask for feedback?
4. Are we sure that at least 80 percent of the people in our organization commit to the vision and the direction? Why are we sure? Do we have a culture of trust?

When I am asked in meeting with CEOs: "How can we increase the strategic commitment of our staff?", then I always ask back: "How clear are you about WHAT the employees are supposed to commit to? What is the consistent vision of the leadership team?"

In most cases I hear: "That's a very good question. We should work on that first."

What can I say? You are right!