| There is a crisis today not just in the United States, but | | | | future and be a successful leader. |
| all over the world. The crisis is a lack of leadership in | | | | The foundation is the customer, because it is the |
| virtually all of out institutions and organizations. People | | | | customer who decides if a product or service has |
| want and need individuals who are honest, competent, | | | | superior quality. If a customer decides that a product or |
| forward-looking, and inspiring. They want and need | | | | service meets their expectations, helps solve their |
| leaders. | | | | problems, and satisfies their needs, they are much |
| People want and expect their leaders to be credible | | | | more likely to make another purchase from the same |
| and trustworthy. But how do leaders earn the trust | | | | company. The same is true of leadership. If employees |
| and confidence of the people they serve? They do it | | | | come to the same conclusions about their leader, |
| by standing for the commitment to a common cause. | | | | they're much more likely to support the leader's vision |
| The world community is very diverse and it has very | | | | for the company's future. |
| high expectations of its leaders. People today are | | | | Successful leaders look ahead at what the future will |
| more demanding and harder to please than at any | | | | be like, especially if the visions they've held in the past |
| time in history. Surveys show that the majority of | | | | have been fulfilled. Leaders are highly skilled |
| people are very disappointed in the lack of leadership | | | | interpersonally, always asking questions, and listening to |
| in all their institutions. In fact in most modern institutions | | | | advice. They know their values, beliefs, strengths, and |
| the very notion of strong leadership has been | | | | weaknesses. Most of all true leaders have a broad |
| shattered and cynicism has taken its place. | | | | network of support from the people they lead. |
| Make no mistake about it: people still need and want | | | | Tragically, around the world today, people have lost |
| leadership now more than ever. They want leaders | | | | faith in their institutions and the individuals who lead |
| who hold an ethic of service and are genuinely | | | | them. We see this on the news every night, we read it |
| respectful of the intelligence and contributions of the | | | | in the newspapers, and hear it on the radio. As we |
| people they serve. They want leaders who will put | | | | hear this people have to ask themselves an important |
| principles ahead of politics and other people before | | | | question; have people lost faith in their leaders or in |
| self-interests. | | | | themselves? |
| Still, leaders cannot do it alone. Neither can companies, | | | | An important quality of all optimistic people is the |
| communities, or countries. Everyone, leaders and the | | | | common belief that one individual can make a |
| people that they serve, share responsibility for getting | | | | difference. Yet in today's turbulent and uncertain world |
| extraordinary things done. Leaders need the energetic | | | | people don't seem to be as sure about this as they |
| involvement of the people around them just as much | | | | once were. People today are not as sure as they |
| as the people need the vision, courage, and conviction | | | | once were that they can achieve any goal they set or |
| of their leader. Responding to the demands of a highly | | | | be whatever they want to be. |
| diverse population is a social challenge and a personal | | | | Perhaps there is good reason. The extraordinary |
| struggle. Respect must run both ways. | | | | dislocations caused by the shifting economic, political, |
| Think about the two issues that top the list of | | | | and social forces happening today seem to be |
| concerns for business leaders: they are improving | | | | completely beyond our control. How can we possibly |
| quality and enhancing customer service. Regardless of | | | | matter in the larger scheme of things? How can we |
| the industry, sector, or region, these to have been the | | | | possibly influence the powerful institutions and special |
| top two items on most surveys of critical business | | | | interests that seem to pull the strings? |
| challenges so far in the 21st century. | | | | Before we give in to defeat and cynicism, let us |
| Superior quality of products and services alone will not | | | | remember that we have already made a difference. |
| guarantee that businesses, public agencies, nonprofits, | | | | The product and service quality initiatives that now |
| independent sector organizations, and communities will | | | | occupy the successful businesses all over the world |
| be successful in this new century, because the | | | | are there because customers demanded it. |
| demands and expectations of people are constantly | | | | Consumers have said that they will not buy products |
| changing with time. It will be the quality of leadership | | | | and services of poor quality or pay more than they |
| that will allow these organizations to anticipate and | | | | think the product or service is worth. It is the customer, |
| commit themselves to meeting the requirements of | | | | the people that caused these changes. |
| future years. | | | | We can do the same with leadership and with all |
| The ambitions for high-quality products, services, and | | | | working relationships. By holding leaders accountable, |
| leadership share a common foundation: they are all | | | | we can improve the quality of our leadership and at |
| supported by an even more powerful force that | | | | the same time by holding ourselves accountable, we |
| shapes people's decisions to follow leaders willingly and | | | | can enhance the quality of all our working relationships, |
| remain loyal to businesses' products or services. | | | | thus renewing our faith in each other. |
| Business leaders must understand and strengthen this | | | | Copyright©2006 by Joe Love and JLM & |
| foundation if they're going to be able to anticipate the | | | | Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. |