Focus3 Performance Services

Leader’s Edge

The performance of a company and its people is

directly connected to the effectiveness of its leaders.

Great leaders focus on two priorities: build trust and achieve results. Trust and results are both essential for effective leadership. One without the other will not produce peak performance. When leaders build trust but fail to focus on results, people feel good but goals are not achieved – which eventually undermines trust. When leaders focus on achieving results but fail to build trust, people work with an attitude of compliance but not an attitude of commitment – which eventually undermines the ability to achieve results.

Leader's Edge teaches leaders how to: 1) build trust through character, competence, and connection, and 2) achieve results by providing clarity, accountability, and support.

These six elements interact to produce high impact leadership. All six elements are necessary. If one element is missing -- or emphasized to the neglect of other elements -- the effectiveness and impact of a leader is significantly diminished. When a leader practices all six elements with discipline and consistency, the stage is set for extraordinary results.

Build Trust

Character . This is ethical trust. It is the result of people having confidence in the leader's integrity. People trust your character when they experience consistency between what you say and what you do.

Competence . This is technical trust. It is the result of people having confidence in a leader's ability. People trust your competence when they experience your knowledge and skills and your ability to achieve goals and solve problems.

Connection . This is personal trust. It is established when people feel that a leader is personally engaged and will act in their best interest. People feel connected and trust you personally when they experience you caring about them and see your commitment to the success of the business.

Achieve Results

Clarity . Effective leaders know the results they want and communicate clearly and constantly to make sure everyone on the team understands the goals they are responsible for achieving and the results they are responsible for producing. Leaders make sure people are clear about goals, roles, the action plan, performance standards, and core values. If clarity is missing or neglected, the team will not know what is expected of them. Goals and strategy will be ambiguous, and action will lack focus.

Accountability . Effective leaders monitor progress, hold people accountable for executing and following through, and pay attention to what is working and what is not working. Accountability is about creating a culture of achievement, not a culture of punishment. Accountability is about paying attention to the business and paying attention to your people. When done properly, accountability is a sign that the leader cares and is seeking to understand and continuously improve the performance environment. If accountability is missing or neglected, execution and follow through will be inconsistent, and action will be undisciplined.

Support . In order to equip and empower the team to achieve its goals, leaders provide people with tools, training, information, and feedback and coaching. Leaders energize people to achieve breakthrough results. Leaders encourage the heart; they strengthen others. They say thank you, and they recognize and reward achievement. Leaders do everything within their power to identify and remove obstacles. If support is missing or neglected, the team will not have the tools or resources or confidence to do their job. The team will feel discouraged.

Contact us! to explore how to use Leader's Edge to improve the effectiveness and impact of leaders in your company!