How To Increase Your Leadership IQ: Implementation Quotient
How do leaders accomplish more than others? And how do they achieve great things with others? I believe a leader’s success is due to their IQ: implementation quotient. That is the difference between common knowledge and consistent application. Implementation isn’t just about having good ideas; it is about acting on them.
In a longitudinal study by Fortune magazine, 70% of CEO failure was because of their failure to deliver results. Many leaders start with grandiose visions but depart their positions with dreams unfulfilled.
If you desire to achieve more, you can easily increase your IQ. Here’s how to do it:
1. Dream big
Don’t become a victim of puny dreams. Not only will those dreams fail to compel others to action, they will also fail to ignite and maintain your own passion.
Little dreams are almost as bad as no dreams at all. Erwin McManus says it well: “If you’re big enough for your dreams, your dreams aren’t big enough for you. Dreams should challenge us, not comfort us.”
2. Plan small
This step is critical. Once you have the dream, you need the details. That requires asking four key questions:
1 – What compelling reasons do we have for doing this?
The power to achieve any goal lies in the purpose behind it. Compelling reasons are the fuel of motivation.
2 – What needs to be done?
Identify the specific steps and components of the project that cumulatively are necessary for success?
3 – Who will do what?
Identify who is specifically responsible for each piece of the project. This is essential to create accountability. Many projects have failed because everybody thought somebody else was doing what needed to be done.
4 – When will things get done?
The timeline for a project is another aspect of accountability.
The goal is timely completion. By developing a timeline of completion, it is easy to track progress towards the goal.
3. Work together
Encourage and appreciate the people on your team. If you’ve “planned small”, each team member knows what they are responsible for doing. Track individual progress and regress, and monitor the timeline.
Make people accountable for results rather than activity. People can look busy and accomplish little. Measure what you treasure results.
4. Keep striving
JeanPierre Rampal, a renowned flautist, said, “There are nights I go out and play a piece perfectly. Then the next night, I go out and play it better.”
As you and your team execute the plan, be on the lookout for “better practices”. Many organisations search for “best practices”. The problem, however, is that once a “best practice” has been identified, most people quit looking for ways to improve. Today’s best practice is next month’s passé practice. As you strive for completion, keep looking for ways to do things better.
And if things get off track, convert discouragement into determination by focusing on what has gone right, and what can be done to address what has gone wrong. Complaining identifies obstacles but leadership overcomes them.
5. Implement boldly
Remember that people will be watching your performance. How you act will greatly influence their enthusiasm and commitment. The quality of one’s performance is the best indicator of their commitment and belief.
Whatever you choose to do, do it like there is nothing else you would rather be doing. When you do, you’ll find that you will achieve the kind of results that most people only dream of attaining.
Republished from the International Institute of Directors and Managers (IIDM) – www.iidm.com
Proteus Leadership is one of Australia’s premier leadership training and development companies. Proteus Leadership provides leadership courses and management training to a range of industries and assists organisations to build positive workplace cultures, implement change and Create Great Leaders. Proteus also facilitates a range of world-class management courses, workshops, conferences and events across Australia and beyond with the sole purpose of bringing leaders together to connect and grow.
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