Businesses cannot win unless they make the connection between strategy and defined success. It is easy to overlook and underestimate this connection because so much time and energy is spent on defining the strategy and the expected success. Leaders connect the strategy to success by growing and supporting their people.
An organization can have a compelling vision and aspire to lofty goals but the capacity to achieve will be directly proportional to the quality and depth of its people. Leaders rarely have control over the circumstances they will confront in the course of executing strategy but leaders have full control over the selection, deployment and development of their people.
The key to improving the ability of a business to compete and succeed is the ability to increase the capacity of your people. Charles Shultz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip, said, “Life is like a 10-speed bike, we all have gears we do not use”. Raising the capacity of the people on your team is all about getting people to employ the gears they have but do not use.
How do great leaders increase the people capacity of their existing team or organization?
- Focus on being effective with people and efficient with things.
- Help people gain confidence being uncomfortable.
- Use failures to accelerate growth and development.
- Take care of your best people.
The only way to connect strategy with success is to lead, inspire and grow your people.
What do you do to grow and support your people?