Elemental change...

Water. It's a funny thing, we see it as liquid, vapour, plasma and as a solid - ice. But usually liquid. A local walk down a railway line usually has a wall of field drain water falling over the end of the bank and is a pretty display of multiple but small waterfalls. Today they were a startlingly different display of frozen ice falls, where it halted your progress to admire the beauty and variety of it.

As you look down this semi frozen waterfall you wonder it is possible for a flowing river to freeze at all. Yet freeze it did and from many images seen on screens around the world, some incidences on far greater scales. Assuming they are not photoshopped! The thing with water, is it can clean things, power things, grow things and of course bring life. Businesses need water. But of course this comes in a different guise and often missed by many. From the big to the small, multi-national to sole trader, every business needs to be clean, powered and grow and above all stay alive. The source of this 'business water' - strong leadership. An old text states that 'without a vision, the people perish' and this could easily be stated as 'without a vision everyone who works there believes in, the business will perish' - but how does any business reach the hearts and minds of everyone who works there? Is it indeed even possible? And to be honest, do we really want this?

Sadly many businesses don't and the results are plain to see; demotivated staff, disgruntled customers and disenfranchised partners at every level. Management speak tells us to value the stakeholders, which of course means everyone who has any connection to a business whatsoever, and so often is a precursor to vain attempts to live the vision and values, if they exist, to provide a sop to shareholders, the public and where relevant, a regulator. The problem is, its like a family - without love and ownership of all relationships it slips into being dysfunctional. And no one wants that, equally so in a business. Trouble is, how do you win peoples hearts and minds? How can any business somehow reach everyone with a common message that they choose to own and believe in to the extent they will prioritise colleagues, customers and others?

Turning back to water, we all know its a powerful thing, and if you ever been caught in a strong wave or seen someone catching the surf, you'll know just how powerful it can be, coastal warnings relate to real and present danger where currents run strong. Take the rocks on the left for example, Ballaglass Glen on the Isle of Man, is a beautiful place to walk and its central feature is a fast flowing river with lots of rocks and waterfall along its path. These rocks were once solid but over time the water has forced its way into channels and created these spectacular falls that flow along ceaselessly and culminate in a newly formed pool with arches and recesses all along its way. Imagine, a force so strong it has the power to mould something else merely by flowing along...

And that is where strong leadership steps in. By modelling from the top to the bottom, where ideally shareholders, directors, managers and staff alike all live the vision - imagine that. Everyone joined together by a desire to see the business succeed, give excellent customer service, prefer each other, genuinely seek ways to help others and be real... Now that would be a business that would be turning people away as everyone wants to work there! But it is not a dream, this is possible, it just needs a mind shift - there is a place for being strong and rigid, but which rock ever formed itself or anything else? None. However, water, that liquid, gaseous, plasma substance that can also be solid; that's the one that shapes rocks. Water, it moulds, shapes and restores. Imagine a business that seeks to serve, to grow, be clean and bring life - by flowing not struggling and with a real team supporting each other at all levels.

Leaders - this one is in your hands. Building a better business? Looking to the future? Wanting to change the world? Start simple, start at the core and step out into the river and let the 'business water' do the work, it's worth it.