Utilizing Resources to Grow

Every company needs to experience positive, sustainable growth, and it takes leaders at all organizational levels to achieve it. In the years ahead, leaders who can truly help their organizations produce profitable growth are the ones who will find themselves moving into positions of increasing responsibility and control. Success in this area can only be achieved, however, by adopting the skills and habits growth leaders possess.

Working Through Others

Growth leaders demonstrate personal commitment to increasing the company’s revenues. With that as the base, they get the rest of the organization as engaged about growth as they are. To do that, they show:
? A belief in people. Effective growth leaders believe people possess the potential for development and achievement. They believe people are basically intelligent and creative and that they want to do a good job. This message is communicated through words, attitudes and other nonverbal cues. They expect peak performance and top quality, but treat people with tact and respect.
? Are realistic. If an objective seems unobtainable, many of a leader’s direct reports will disengage and simply move in the direction of least resistance. While the best leaders establish challenging goals, they are also obtainable. Establishing realistic goals consistent with the organization’s stated purpose while considering possible constraints is a critical determinant for success.
? Take risks on people. Good leaders are willing to take some chances with people. They put them in stretch assignments, and then help them implement the ideas they come up with. This nurturing fosters creativity and inspires their people.
? Celebrate success and failure. It’s one thing to know that a certain number of growth initiatives won’t succeed. True organizational culture is determined by what happens when a project succeeds – and particularly when one fails. Celebrating failure seems counter-intuitive, but sends a message to everyone that risk-taking is to be encouraged, even when it doesn’t work.
? Inspire, communicate and delegate. Leaders in growth organizations must work effectively in inspiring, communicating and delegating critical objectives at all levels. Especially critical is that the same sense of urgency expressed by a leader is consistently displayed by the senior management team.
? Instill accountability. Delivering growth goals while building a culture of continuous improvement demands a high level of accountability. Stakeholders must believe that they have been given the tools, training and direction necessary for success and that everyone is held to a high and consistent level of accountability in delivering objectives successfully.