5 Crises Facing Leaders today… and the #1 way to fix them

What challenges are you and your organization facing right now?

No, don’t put this off. Take a few minutes and write down at least three challenges that you know are looming on the horizon.

Good.

Now, imagine you could have one single solution that would not only eliminate the challenges, but also raise profits in the process.

Interested? I’m sure you are.

But, like all things, there’s a catch. For this solution to work, you have to make a full-on commitment to do one thing that is going to take a full body of work.

Still interested?

Okay, let me explain a couple of things. Often, an organization thinks that what they need is a better “strategy” to tackle the challenges. Sometimes that new strategy works (at least for a while), but these strategies rarely, if ever, deal with real issue. It’s kind of like hoping the poisonous plant in your garden will go away with enough pruning, instead of digging it out at the roots. You may have inadvertently made the problems even stronger than they were before.

Today there are at least five mayor challenges facing leaders. If we don't face them, they could (and will) wipe out many previously solid companies.

1. Engagement. The American Workforce is in crisis with more than 70% of workers stating that they are disengaged.[1]
2. Loyalty! On average it costs 1.5-2 times the annual salary of an individual to train and develop them. If they leave before that time you have a negative ROI.[2]
3. Succession. Family-based business account for 64% of U.S. gross domestic product. More and more we are seeing that the up and coming generation look at business and leadership with very different values than their parents, and are often willing to walk away from an organization that doesn’t match their values.[3]
4. The demand for transparency. Old school leadership was all about keeping things close to the vest. In a social media world, secrets are not only hard to keep but they could destroy your business when—not if—they come out.
5. Technology. In a world where technology is going to continue to disrupt just about every industry, knowing which technology to take on or ignore is vital.

So what is this single solution that will solve all these challenges? What is the one solution that could guarantee engagement, has your top talent become loyal, makes the next in-line excited to step up into their leadership role, makes it easy to be transparent, and helps decide which technology to embrace or ignore, all this while increasing profits?

The solution to today's leadership crisis is in discovering your personal and corporate purpose!

Discovering what we call your SOUL Purpose is THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK you can ever do!

Why does the SOUL purpose of a leader or for that matter an organization matter so deeply? Once you know the what your SOUL purpose is, and have a put together your personal purpose and corporate manifesto, tremendous clarity, peace, and joy will come into your business, your leadership, and your life.

The best part for many leaders is a renewed feeling of control over direction and destiny. Life, business, and leadership take on a new dimension, one that is no longer measured simply by length but rather by depth. That sense of panic that can occur when the unexpected shows up begins to melt away like ice on a hotplate because every event on your timeline is clear to you. You see it through the lens of purpose and you know that you’ve have prepared yourself for the unexpected.

In their book Corporate Culture and Performance, John Kotter and James Heskett show that over a decade-long period, purposeful, value-driven companies outperform their counterparts in stock price by a factor of 12.[4]

In our organization, we have learned that when you have found and tapped into your core purpose, the people you lead will notice your quiet sense of confidence and as a result will feel safe in your presence. It thus gets easier to make decisions, to know if something is aligned with your purpose and values—or not. This certainty becomes your “North Star,” the principle that guides you at every turn and will positively impact you for the rest of your life!

Finding your Soul Purpose requires a body of work to be done by those who are committed to excellence in leadership. It’s not something that can be accomplished overnight. However, let me get you started. What follows are three key questions that we use when we begin our work with a leader or an organization. Again, I ask you to take the time to really dig into these questions and ask them honestly and courageously. If you do, you will be well on your way to finding the treasure you consciously (or unconsciously) been pursuing your entire life.

1. What is your central philosophy?

A central philosophy is the way we see the world no matter what’s going on. It’s the belief we have about the world that we either tell everyone at every opportunity or it’s the voice in your head that goes off both at the best and worst of times.

The following are some examples, but don’t judge yourself. If it’s true for you, then it’s the answer you need to know.

• People are basically good.
• People are basically self serving.
• The best way to keep score is with money.
• All that matters is winning.
• Good guys finish last.
• Honest is the best policy.

Remember these are just examples!

2. Who did you want to be when you were a child?

It might have been your dad, your mom, or some other relative. It could also have been someone that you didn’t personally know, like a fireman, a nurse, or a doctor. Maybe it was Wonder Woman or Batman. Or someone famous that you would likely never meet.

P.S. You don’t have to stick to one person, you can pick multiple people.

3. What were/are the character traits of the person/people you wanted to be?

Make a list of these character traits that you saw in the person or persons you wanted to be, and see how these traits line up with your answer to question number one, about your central philosophy. The crossover between the two will give you a great starting place for finding your own core purpose.

I encourage you to begin doing this today! The sooner you start, the sooner you will be able to begin rooting out the poisonous roots that can strangle your business, instead of just pruning back their leaves.

[1] https://www.gallup.com/poll/181289/majority-employees-not-engaged-despite-gains-2014.aspx

[2] https://www.zanebenefits.com/blog/bid/312123/employee-retention-the-real-cost-of-losing-an-employee

[3] https://www.familybusinesscenter.com/resources/family-business-facts/

[4] https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Culture-Performance-John-Kotter/dp/1451655320

I trust that you found this article valuable, if so, feel free to send this to your friends. I eagerly anticipate your feedback and comments.

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I created the Authentic Leadership Matrix after a lot of experience and research. One of the questions I'm asked often is what authentic leadership is and how do we define it. As a result, I created the matrix. It splits what leadership is into five separate categories. So, that you can take a clear look at how you perform in each of the five main areas that are required for you to become a world class authentic leader. The process takes you through each category simply with yes or no questions.https://matrix.fullmontyleadership.com/

With gratitude, D?v Baron

I also write for Entrepreneur.com:

• Is There Life After Success(ion)?
• Why 47 Percent of Your Best People Are Ready to Leave -- and What You Can Do About It
• The 11 Questions Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Ask Themselves
• Why Being a Self-Aware Leader Is Not Enough
• Unlocking 'the 4 Cs' to Create a Fiercely Loyal Corporate Culture

“In 2015, Dov Baron was cited by Inc Magazine as one of the Top 100 Leadership Speaker to book for your next conference! He speaks internationally and is The Leading Authority on Next-Gen Authentic Leadership and creating a Culture of Fiercely Loyal Leaders. FullMontyLeadership.com

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P.S. To get your hands on Dov Baron’s new book “Fiercely Loyal” How High Performing Companies Develop and Retain Top Talent, go take a look here https://fiercelyloyalbook.com and get your FREE: How to instantly bond any team infographic”

To contact: Dov Baron International, and Authentic Paragon Alliance INC. Contact Authentic Paragon Alliance at +1 778 397 7717 https://FullMontyLeadership.com