Orbits

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.

“Followers and Leaders both orbit around the purpose; followers do not orbit around the leader.” - Ira Chaleff

Successful companies keep this idea front and center: People seek purpose - not only employees, but customers seek a purpose. And those leaders and companies that clearly define and articulate a compelling purpose will have a huge competitive advantage.

Employees and customers are hungry for purpose. Yes, employees want jobs and customers want deals. But even in a recession, they want more than that. They want to feel that their lives have a deeper meaning that goes beyond paychecks and discount shopping. Abraham Maslow had it right. Once a person’s physical needs are met, they long for love, belonging, esteem and finally what Maslow called “self-actualization” - where they know their lives contribute to a purpose bigger than themselves.

Leadership is all about vision, for without vision there is no leadership. Yet many of today’s leaders are so bogged down in the minutiae of “running the business” that they have lost focus on the vision. They no longer embody the unique purpose which they are responsible to champion and align to.

** Leadership without a purpose is a languid, drifting thing; therefore every day a leader ought to review the purpose behind their leadership. They need to say to themselves,

“Today, in every interaction and decision, I am going to keep my eyes on the purpose for which I serve. I will keep my eyes, and the eyes of my followers, on the vision which makes us not only unique, but truly special in a world filled with so many counterfeit distractions.”