How does one determine value? In leadership, what matters is the value you bring to the position you hold in the organization. So, how do you determine your value? Often when I ask leaders what value they bring to their job, they start talking about activities.
One of the most fundamental pillars of leadership is all about outcomes — and not activities. Understanding this truth is simple and obvious, yet, extraordinarily powerful. Unfortunately, it remains elusive to many leaders.
Leaders tend to confuse activities with outcomes — and it is an expensive mistake. Choosing which activities will occupy your day is likely to be your most significant driver of effectiveness. First, invest the time to identify, prioritize, and communicate organization goals. By focusing on the results, creative leaders can often achieve goals with less work.
Clarity about outcomes vs. activity is essential to nail down the semantics. Outcomes mean a specific, generally measurable, end result – and one that matters a great deal. Activities, however, are a set of tactics that achieve that outcome.
Results are valued well ahead of tactics.
Checking off tasks on your to-do list might fill you with a sense of accomplishment but of no value if the activities did not help you reach your goal.
Good leaders focus on what matters.
Defending yourself against the myopia of task saturation required a bit of planning. Defining the key outcome is the first step to getting back on the road to value if you don’t have measurable goals set them. If you don’t have a due date set one, and above all, focus on the goal despite the myriad of tasks, distractions, and fun-to-do activities.
Your challenge is to create results-driven culture. It’s about ownership, trust, accountability – and not about the number of activities or hours worked.
Healthcare Executive, Speaker and Author