COVER STORY
Exceptional Leaders Have Clarity
significant happens: their financials show losses, revenues stall, clients leave, good employees take better jobs elsewhere. All executives and board of directors share a desire to resolve the situation when they are in the middle of a complicated or dif- ficult situation.
M But exceptional leaders are unique. They demonstrate a will-
ingness to gain real clarity about what is going on inside and outside their organization. They want a depth of information to understand the truth about what is right and wrong with the strategies they are implementing. They want to identify the fac- tors impacting their ability to be successful. They take control by looking for ways to innovate their organizations to solve their problems, meet the evolving needs of their customers, and im- prove their market position. They take the time to SORT their thoughts to gain the clarity they need for success.
Skewed Viewpoint Most leaders believe they are already doing the right things. They believe their products and services already meet valuable needs for their customers. What they don’t realize is their view has been skewed by changes that have gone on around them. New competitors to the market may have significantly altered their historical market position, but they were so certain they were doing a good job they do not realize how much their market has changed.
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ost leaders believe they make good decisions. They be- lieve they already have clarity about their situation. Protecting the status quo is the norm. Then something
How To SORT Your Thoughts By Jill J. Johnson, MBA Exceptional leaders understand staying close to your
market is crucial to long-term success. Markets change over time. They want to understand how their market is changing and why. They determine what they need to do to meet evolving market needs. They want to understand what they need to do to compete effectively with new competitors to retain or enhance their market position. They are constantly assessing customer expectations and whether their needs may be shifting beyond what they now offer. Their focus is on the future and moving for- ward with true success. They move on.
Overcoming Obstacles Sometimes leaders freeze when confronted with the need to take real action. They are so paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake that they make no decision at all. They wait until the situation is dire and then react by putting out the inconsequential fires. By focusing on the wrong things, they ignore the main fire that rages all around them. Their inability to address the real is- sues before there is a complete crisis results in chaos. They blame others. Their people don’t trust them. Their boards lose confidence. Leaders without clarity can do great harm to their organizations.
Exceptional leaders expect their situations will change
and they have the discipline to continually look forward and assess what changes may affect them. They are al- ways on the lookout for ways to innovate and revitalize
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