A Leadership Framework

Monday Message from Jerry Houston, President and CEO of HPISolutions

One of my heroes in the industry is Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn Ferry, one of the pre-eminent Human Development Consulting Firms in the world.  I want to share with you a piece of a recent article that Gary published.  It is so profound, and so in line with HPISolutions and my personal philosophy of leadership, that I was compelled to bring it to your attention:

Gary tells us that “Intellectually, we know business does move in cycles and leaders need to respond with decisive action – sometimes grabbing the yoke.”  Here is Gary’s simple leadership framework, where mindset meets the moment – and all calibrated around what to do and how to do it:

Purpose is the anchor.  It is the overarching “why” that casts a long shadow, changing “me” to “we.”

Strategy is the road map.  It sets the course and the velocity – never moving faster than people can absorb.  It distinguishes between the urgent and the important.

People make all the difference.  Despite the technological innovations of the past century, people are what make organizations great.  And it’s the leader’s job to make people feel better after every interaction than they did before.

It’s not power – it’s empower.  Enable and equip others, then get out of their way.

Reward and celebrate achievements – always.  We can never say “thank you” and “good job” often enough.

Anticipate a future grounded in today’s reality.  The more clearly we see the here and now, the better we’ll project what is around the next bend.  We create a vision of the future that others cannot yet see.

Navigate in the moment.  Course-correct in real-time.  Sometimes a decision is a good decision – until it’s no longer a good decision.  It takes a mindset shift, elevating from the technical left brain to the people-centered right brain.

Communicate to connect and inspire.  This is where leadership lives and breathes.  We are not speaking for ourselves; we represent others.

Listen, learn and then lead.  And in that order.

Gary’s message is right on target.  His ability to see leadership for what it should be, and to articulate that in his writings, earns my admiration.  If you want to read more of what Gary Burnison has to say, CLICK HERE.

Have a Great Week!