Two Responsibilities of Corporate Leaders
© Dr. Terry J. van der Werff, CMC

Leaders are responsible for articulating their company's direction and for guiding their employees there.

Leaders have two responsibilities:

	Articulating their company's direction.
	Guiding their employees there.

The direction matters a great deal.  So does the arrival.  Without a destination in mind, any road will lead one there.

Leaders articulate the company's direction by integrating:

	Vision - the reason the company exists - why it does what it does.
	Values - its character and corporate culture - how its people go about their work.
	Mission - its products and services - what it does for whom.
	Strategy - the path toward the vision - where it is going.

Leaders guide their employees in that direction by nurturing leaders everywhere in the company through such means as:

	Caring culture - reinforcing the company's values and principles.
	Support for teams - setting expectations and provide resources.
	Challenging job assignments - stretching employees gradually.
	Global  exposure - paying attention to global business practices.
	Continuous process improvement - improving every process.
	Flexible thinking - prizing creativity.
	Education - facilitating life-long learning.
	Multiple successors - grooming a spectrum of potential leaders.

Leaders who focus on these two key responsibilities navigate their companies and employees safely through the turbulence of shifting markets, new technologies, globalization, worker shortages, and security concerns.

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