There’s plenty of work out there for progressive leaders who know how to deliver value and walk the talk. Trust me, from what I’ve seen, the competition is light.
When I say “walk the talk,” I mean creating value in everything you do for the company and the people it serves. Value for the people means providing thought leadership and mentoring your staff so they can grow. Train people to do your job. Have them train others to do theirs. It means not being an information hoarder and giving away what you’ve learned about yourself, your profession, your business, and anything else that can be leveraged to create value. And always remember that “giving it away” creates value for everyone, including you.
The results of creating value for the company can manifest itself in many ways, not just in hard dollars. There’s a soft currency that exists all around us and the more you put into that bank account, the more the company will reap in hard dollars. You’ll do pretty well, yourself, too. Because when you do more, eventually you’ll be paid more for what you do.
Yes, I’m suggesting that you always do more than you’re asked to do by your customers (every person in the company is a customer!) and provide uncompromising value. Your goal must be 100% customer satisfaction 100% of the time.
Take a lesson from social media, too, and Listen, Engage, Measure. Develop a kick-ass feedback loop that includes managing expectations, establishing responsibilities, and giving/getting feedback. This approach sets up an environment that thrives on clear, consistent communication and virtually manages itself. Most important, hire great people and let them worry for you. Your focus is to give them everything they need to do their jobs and succeed.
Are you walking the talk? I’d love to hear how you’re creating value everyday.
You should follow me on twitter here.
