I’m reminded of a time I was on holiday on a friend’s farm. On this particular day I took a walk very early in the morning, the air was crisp and fresh, and the views breathtaking, as the sun was just coming up. What caught my attention was the shepherd, an old man, who was whistling to his flock of sheep. He seemed to be letting them know what was ahead and assuring them that it was safe and just what they needed. They evidently believed him, because they followed him in a way that indicated that they trusted that where he was leading them was good for them.
As a leader, leading your business or organisation, you are like that shepherd that needs to point the direction that is to be taken and provide an environment of trust. As you begin the year, it is important to gather your team around the vision. A reminder of why you exist as a business. You will need to paint the picture of the vision that unifies you as an organisation, you also need to highlight your values that dictate how you execute your business. The vision and values are central to the uniqueness and authenticity of your business. They are therefore key to the success of what you do. It will serve you to keep coming back to them throughout the year, to stay unified as a team and assured that you have not moved away from the eason that brings you together. This principle holds true for your other relationships as well.
As you hold your initial meetings for the year, paint a picture of your “why” as a business. Encourage your team leads throughout the quarter to peg what they are doing to the vision. Remind the team of the organisational values. Together with your team leads, model these values throughout the quarter. Keep coming back to evaluate what’s going well, what you need to improve and what you need to do differently.
