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Globally acknowledged business leaders all have a common denominator that has driven their exceptional success.
Think of Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson: they all understood how powerful communication can be and they all had a vision from the very beginning. There is no doubt in my mind that Mark's success could not have rocketed as it did without a clearly defined culture of communication that was disseminated throughout the company. To be sure, communication includes "listening" and asking questions that stimulate discussion and prompt employees to think for themselves.
Having a clear, compelling organizational vision and communicating it successfully is a major step that makes goal setting and planning possible. Okay, so how do you create the best vision and make that vision attractive to everyone in your organization? Over the years, I've learned that to engage and inspire those who must contribute to the delivery and achievement of that vision, leaders must first develop more in-depth knowledge of their team members. For example:
- What are their strengths?
- What are their development needs?
- What goals do they have for themselves?
- What does success look like to them?
- What are their family circumstances?
- What are their passionate interests?
- What will they learn from you in pursuing your vision that will help them realize their own?
People will go out of their way to support a leader who takes the time and energy to get to know them better. In my experience, formal employee assessments have been a key tool to gain deeper insight into how individuals are wired and what their capabilities and interests are.
Once you have these insights, now you can create a vision that will inspire your team members and ensure that your vision becomes a successful reality.
"The best way to keep your stars is to know them better than they know themselves... and to use that information to customize the career of their dreams. " -Timothy Butler and James Waldroop | 
