Transformational Leadership. Social Entrepreneurship

Every Wednesday, this Transformational Leadership blog features a series on leadership or personal development. This is the third part of our Leadership Anticipation and Directions series. To get the upcoming articles on this series, please subscribe to our blog feed.

In ancient times, sailors and pirates looked at the night sky and saw only the stars, the moon and the darkness beyond. But looking upon the same night sky, captains would see the direction of the ship and the continuation of a journey in search of treasure or new lands.

Being captain wasn’t simply a title. It meant being able to read the stars, literally, and calculate the direction of the ship. If you can’t navigate, you’re done with! Can you hear Captain Jack Sparrow and Capt. Barbossa quarrel over the map to the Fountain of Youth?

How can you, as a transformational leader, navigate effectively?

Look up. Feeling lost lately? Look up. You can see the stars, the moon, maybe the sun during the day. But beyond these heavenly bodies, there is a heavenly being that cares for what you’re going through. Ask for help. You’d be surprised at the help you can get along the way. Be careful though. This isn’t a call for fatalistic action. It is recognition of God’s power over creation. But you still need to do the calculations and the actual steps to move forward in your chosen direction.

Discover the True North. What is your vision? Is it personal? Have you internalized the vision and mission of the organization?

Go back to what drives you and the organization. Vision is a powerful force! If you tap into it and follow it work hard at bringing it to fruition, you will discover reserves of strength, quite like adrenaline rush, that will help you move forward.

Your vision is the true north. Focus on that. Leave any other goal behind.

Know your present position. You can’t move toward your goal unless you know your present position. What are the problems being faced by your organization right now? Are these the real problems? Or are they just symptoms of deeper problems?

Conduct an analysis of the organization. How’s the performance of your team members? How are they responding to your leadership?

Do you need to make any changes? If so, stop making excuses and get to work. Knowledge is only half of the equation, action is the other half. Come on and do something!

Consult your map. Does your organization have a strategic plan? How about a long-term plan? If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one. While that may be difficult to put up, it will help in the overall growth of the organization. Don’t sacrifice short term advantages to long-term growth and sustainability. You will win the battle but you lose the war!

Strategies matter. Your map is essential in bringing change to the organization.

X marks the spot. Every treasure map has an X mark! It shows where to pick up the treasure. But before you get the treasure, you’re bound to fight the monsters guarding the treasure. And in leadership, that’s what you have to do a lot of times. In your organization, these monsters are not Cyclops, hydras, or Gorgons. Instead, they come in the form of demoralization, lack of passion, inability to adapt to change, and procrastination among others.

Getting the treasure in the X-marked spot is a team effort. And to inspire your people, they should know why they are fighting to get the treasure and why it matters to get possession of it!

Calculate. Navigate. Your leadership career depends on it.

image credit: SteveDave

Related posts:

1. Start Here! The Road to Transformational Leadership
2. Do You Have a Leadership GPS?
3. Four Leadership Sight Problems
4. Develop Your Leadership Habits and Reflexes
5. The Importance of Anticipation for a Leader and an Organization