A Clear Purpose Helps Uphold the Laws…

If we’re going to lead with a clear purpose, providing the oh-so-necessary clarity for the team members who are counting on us, having a firm grasp on a purpose of our own that truly is rewarding can be the difference maker when we need to push through the tough times - and there will most definitely be tough times for every leader! If we’re being honest with ourselves, having our own clear purpose that we’re working to achieve daily is a huge part of what we must do if there’s any chance of providing the same for our teams. For perspective on that, let’s consider just a few of John’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - since he suggests that following these laws will result in our teams following us…

In setting the tone for “The Law of Navigation,” John says that “anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.” Charting that course is all about defining a clear purpose; for ourselves and for every individual we lead. We’ll take a big-picture look at providing this for our teams next, and later on we’ll dig into that in very specific detail, but right now I’ll just emphasize that there’s little chance of us providing that clarity for anyone else if we don’t have our own.

In “The Law of Buy-In,” Maxwell tells us that “people buy into the leader, then the vision.” The fact of the matter is that few people will ever rally around even the clearest purpose we provide them unless we’ve first earned their buy-in with us. I could go as far as asking if we’re really leading anyone if we haven’t earned that buy-in, but I guess that would be a bit rhetorical… All said, having our own crystal-clear purpose will often be what helps us fight through the daily battles involved in earning that buy-in.

Finally, John defines “The Law of the Picture” by simply sharing that “people do what people see.” Cindy frequently reminds me of that when our grand-kids are with us, to which I respond that the joy of having grand-kids is repaying our kids for some of the nonsense they did! I’m joking about that, kinda… The reality in leading our teams is that being locked in on our own clear purpose will provide us with the foundation we need to live out the picture we want our team to follow. Without that clarity, it would be like shooting a basketball but having no backboard or rim to aim for; we’d never know if we’re even close! Clarity around our own purpose provides a map for our behaviors and those behaviors are what our people see! 

We’ll soon work through a step-by-step approach to defining the kind of clear purpose that’s rewarding to us as leaders, then we’ll work through an equally detailed process for how we can do the same for our teams. Before we do though, let’s take a high level look at why our teams really do perform better when they have a clear purpose. Stay tuned…