Showing the way by doing the common things uncommonly well
In Chapter 3 we’ll see how leaders who show the way can help organizations to do the common things uncommonly well. This means ensuring that what leaders do resonates with what they say. And as you’ll see, this is something which can be easily done, but very easily undone, sometimes with spectacular results.
We’ll also ask you some provocative questions, such as: would people pay to see your work team perform? And if you were offered something which could have a significant impact on your business but which required neither capital investment nor a spending commitment, would you be interested?
And what if this was wholly within your power and remit, and offered your organization a real competitive advantage? Would you do it? You might think this sounds too good to be true but maybe it’s just about doing the common things uncommonly well.
Chapter 3 contents
- Service, sandwiches and simple messages
- Serving sandwiches
- Simple messages
- The quickest route to bankruptcy?
- Combining uncommon sense and vision
- The language of uncommon leadership
- Memorable businesses and memorable performances
- Service as a performance?
- Memorable service performances
- All the (business) world is a stage!
- Would people pay to see your team perform?
- Walking the talk
- The authenticity of action
- Prawn sandwiches and authenticity
- The search for coffee, books and tax
- Mirror leadership
- Looking in the mirror
- Being a mirror – golden rules and insufficient mandates
- The mirror of satisfaction
- Would you recommend your service/organization to your friends?
- The stone-cutter re-visited
- I am building another cathedral
- But I’m not building a cathedral!
- Crafting a Calling
- How do you see your work?
- Can you make your work more like a calling?
- Re-framing work – the business benefit
- Uncommon sense in practice
- Learning from mistakes or leading with successes?
- Do we get what we expect?
- Do we get what we believe?
- From expectation to efficacy
- Praising is amazing
- Feedback: the fuel of performance
- Small steps and next-mile leadership?
- Big leaps and long-jump leadership?
It’s important for leaders to show the way but it can be just as critical for them to serve – both employees and customers. This means leaders who can demonstrate the common touch by being in touch, which we explore in the next chapter: Leading with service.