JS Tip 414: The Leadership Imperatives

From the Leadership Workshops: The Leadership Imperatives

Thomas Paine foresaw our time: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” (Please forgive the sexism; he wrote the line in 1777.)

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about leadership.

Leaders—at all levels—must do two things:

• Get the job done.
• Take care of their people.

Notice how the imperatives have bullets and not numbers. The imperatives weigh equally. One’s not more important than the other.  

Leaders can’t get the job done unless they take care of their people.

Leaders can’t take care of their people unless they get the job done.

There’s a dynamic relationship between the two.

Each year, Fortune Magazine identifies “The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America.” (Google was number one this year. And last year. And the year before that. Six times running.)

The magazine says, “Our ranking reveals that high morale and outstanding performance emphatically go together.”

Why? 

Because high morale—the sense of belonging and being valued—produces loyalty to the organization, and loyalty to the organization produces extra effort.

Next week, we’ll talk about the leadership elements. The parts. The components.

This is the first of a four-part series. 

If you have questions or suggestions or arguments, let us know. We love this stuff.