D: Direction and Action
Create a Compelling Vision and Philosophy
The last element of the L.E.A.D. Model is direction and action. A common element amongst effective coaches is their ability to see what they want to achieve and to have a vision for the future, whether that be the next training session or the entire year’s (or multiple years’) outcome. Leaders who can create a vision engage followers due to the simple fact that people want to know what direction they are ‘going in’ and where they are going to ‘end up’. Very few people are willing to follow ‘blindly’, that is, to follow someone who has no idea as to where they are actually headed. Leaders simply must have clarity of direction; this is not negotiable for effective leadership of others. Next, it is critical how leaders stay on the path to their outcomes and goals despite the obstacles confronting them along the way. Without a strong sense of direction, coaches can waver, go off track and lose momentum, ultimately costing them and their team the opportunity to achieve their vision and goals. A critical question coaches must be able to answer is, Why do people follow me? This session aims to clarify this.
Learning outcomes
- Discuss and appreciate the importance of direction setting as a coach and having a current leadership philosophy.
- Develop a personalized coaching leadership philosophy using the five-step path to articulating what’s most important to you and how you will keep this alive moving forward.
- Establish key ways to stay aligned with your leadership philosophy each day and how to communicate it to others.
Download your Accompanying Workshop 4: Direction & Action Workbook
D: Direction & Action
Follow up to Workshop
After attending the live workshop, let's recap key themes and put all of your learnings into action.
Direction & vision
The last element of the L.E.A.D. Model is Direction. A common element amongst effective leaders is their ability to see what they want to achieve and to have a vision for the future, both short or longer-term. Leaders who can create a vision engage followers due to the simple fact that people want to know what direction they are ‘going in’ and where they are going to ‘end up’.
Very few people are willing to follow ‘blindly’, that is, to follow someone who has no idea as to where they are actually headed. Would you follow someone who did not know what they wanted or where they wanted to go?
Few of us, have the time or energy to waste in a pursuit which does not see us achieving anything of significance to our values and aspirations.
Leaders simply must have clarity of direction, this is not negotiable for effective leadership of others. Next, it is critical how leaders stay on the path to their outcomes and goals despite the obstacles confronting them along the way. Without a strong sense of direction, leaders can waver, go off track and lose momentum, ultimately costing themselves or others the opportunity to achieve their vision and goals.
ACTIVITY: YOUR direction and vision
Review and complete pages 2-4 in your ‘Direction and Action’ Workbook.
- Decide what your direction and vision is for your program and write it in the space provided.
- With your direction and vision in mind, think about the future, and identify any obstacles which could confront you and your clients.
- Create a plan to overcome these obstacles to ensure those you work with stay focused on the Direction and Vision.
- Then, take time to discuss this plan with others.
LEADERSHIP VALUES
Direction, visions, and goals relate to the values and behaviors which underpin accomplishment. Whatever direction, vision, or goal you aspire to achieve, it must be linked to what your values as a leader are. Values are those factors you deem most important to you. They are the non-negotiable which cannot be compromised for anyone or anything.
We often become aware of our values when they are compromised, often unintentionally by others and we are left with a strong emotional response or reaction. It is at these times when our values have been ‘stepped on’.
We also become aware of our values whenever we strongly positively react to an event or occurrence be it something we read or see. Sometimes strong emotional reactions are associated with our values being triggered.
Take a moment to think about previous times when you have felt a strong emotion resulting from either a positive or negative experience.
Values act as a leader’s compass or GPS, keeping them aligned to their ultimate purpose and seeing them stay true to achieving their direction and vision.
ACTIVITY: YOUR VALUES
Refer to page 5 in your ‘Direction and Action’ Workbook for this activity.
We often become aware of our values when they are compromised, sometimes unintentionally, by others, leading to a strong emotional response. These emotional reactions, whether negative or positive, are signals that our values have been triggered.
- Write down what value was triggered during these previous experiences and if you see a pattern of values emerging.
- You can also have values which specifically relate to leadership. Think about what is most important to you about leadership. Write down your top three answers here.
YOUR LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
A leadership philosophy is a set of values and beliefs, which determine why and how you behave as a leader. It is developed from your values, personal experiences, the knowledge you have accumulated, and your leadership style. All of this directly impacts your leadership practices.
A clear leadership philosophy creates consistency in your approach, enables you to prioritize those areas which create your desired results, and easily make high quality decisions and actions. This consistent behavior also develops the trust and respect vital for a quality leader-follower relationship.
To articulate a leadership philosophy, follow these five steps:
ACTIVITY: YOUR LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
Leaders are constantly told that having a well-defined leadership philosophy is a critical component to their success. It can be a challenge to develop on your own, and it takes time to evolve. Using the five key steps above, write your Leadership Philosophy in the space provided on page 7 of your ‘Direction and Action’ Workbook.
stretch activities
A stretch activity is designed to push you out of your comfort zone. This is a zone where growth always occurs. Complete the stretch activities on pages 8-9 of your ‘Direction and Action’ Workbook to put your learnings into action and continue building your network and leadership capability.
- Acitivity 1: Interview an established Leader whom you respect and is part of your community. Talk to them about your own leadership development journey, and ask them for their thoughts and perspectives.
- Activity 2: This activity is about finding a local school or community center to present to on the significance of leadership. Teach them about what it is, how you think you can develop it, and why it is so important.