I was speaking with a colleague the other day about leadership flaws…more specifically mine. I struggle with patience (among other things), and was expressing that I have come to terms with the fact that it takes about nine months for a new leader’s vision to take hold in an organization.
I really wish it could happen more quickly. In the USAF a commander only stays in command 24 months, so speed is of the essence; hence my issue with patience.
Having commanded several times, it just seems to ring true that it takes nine months, but is it possible to speed it up? Or perhaps more importantly, do we want to speed it up.
People need to be shown the leader’s vision clearly, creatively, and continually. Over time, I have incorporated a Maxwell checklist to make sure that a vision possesses the following traits:
Clarity: The vision must be clear and simple…team members must understand the vision and what they must do
Connectedness: A leader must bring the past, present, and future together…
Purpose: A purpose gives direction to the vision.
Goals: bring targets to the vision
Honesty: brings integrity to the vision and creditability to the vision caster
Stories: brings relationships to the vision
Passion: brings fuel to the vision
Modeling: brings accountability to the vision
Strategy: brings process to the vision
Nine months, 36 weeks, 252 days, 6048 hours. Can it happen quicker? Should it happen quicker? Does the size of the organization matter? Things to ponder…
Always remember….”The greatest leaders mobilize others by coalescing people around a shared vision.” —Ken Blanchard
Mastermind Century Group 