As a leader, we each have our own strong attributes that contribute to us being an effective leader, as well as areas for development that when developed, could raise our capability to an entirely new level. And often, we can take things for granted and allow things to simply happen. This is something I observed many years ago which provided me with a very timely and important lesson in leadership – the importance of urgency.
One of the Sales Managers in the company I was working was a very laid back and laconic individual, who was well liked by his team, however, wasn’t delivering the outstanding results that he was capable of delivering. He was almost ‘one of the boys’ rather than being the leader he was capable of being. And being so laid back, he almost appeared to operate in slow motion, with no sense of urgency whatsoever. In turn, his team started to take on similar attributes and didn’t operate with any sense of urgency either. By contrast, another Sales Manager recognised that time was of the essence and therefore acted with a real sense of urgency and this played out in the actions and energy of his team, and their performance was always towards the top of the sales achievement ladder. This manager was balanced, focussed, and from my observation, made great use of the time available each day. He understood that urgency was one of the hidden gems of leadership and he was getting great results.
So if you are currently leading a team and are not achieving the results you believe you and they are capable of, develop a new sense of urgency by applying the following and watch the results skyrocket :
- Compartmentalise your time – understand that there are 96 x 15 minute increments in each day. When you break your day down into 15 minute increments, it is incredible what you are able to achieve in this time. And remember to schedule it in your diary – what gets scheduled gets done!! Time is the only finite resource you have – use it urgently!
- Recalibrate your vision and the team’s vision – often a lack of urgency stems from a misaligned or unclear vision. This can often lead to ‘going through the motions’. Remind yourself why you are there and why your team are there and re-align to the vision. Develop a culture within the team that is focussed on outcomes instead of tasks, and be sure to ensure the outcomes are customer focussed – this will generate a higher level of urgency.
- Demonstrate confidence and clarity – as we have discussed in previous articles, your team is watching you like a hawk, so it is incredibly important to be confident in yourself and have complete clarity around what you stand for. This will be demonstrated in how you move and operate throughout the day. Being confident also portrays an impression of being in control and your team will leverage off this. So move with purpose and confidence – this will portray a sense of urgency which is contagious.
- De decisive and take action – your team is looking to you for direction and guidance, so it is vitally important that you make decisions quickly and decisively. I understand that often you need to gather information in order to make informed decisions and I am not suggesting that you do not do this – however, rather than seeking 100% of the information before making a decision, commit to making a decision once 50%-70% of the information has been gathered. Trust your experience and your intuition and if you get the decision wrong, know that you can then develop a strategy to rectify it – understand though that you are also teaching your team a wonderful lesson in decision making, taking responsibility and developing momentum. Remember, it is not always about getting it right, but it is about getting going. It is very difficult to steer a ship or car when it is stationary.
- Keep meetings short, specific, or don’t have them – this one is a big one, especially if you are working in a large organisation. If you must run regular meetings, please ensure they are relevant, agenda driven and as short as possible. Nothing destroys a sense of urgency within the team (which affects momentum) more than a regular meeting with little or no agenda that drags on and on. If your meeting is scheduled for an hour and you only have agenda items that will fill 15 minutes, stop the meeting after 15 minutes – you have just created momentum and set a fantastic example to your team. It is time to move.
- Identify ways to celebrate small wins and communicate them broadly – too often in sales teams, the leader waits for the ‘big deal’ to drop before ‘ringing the bell’ or announcing the win to the wider team. Create a greater sense of urgency by calling out and celebrating small wins and encouraging & praising individuals (ensure that it is genuine praise!). This too will build momentum and further enhance a winning culture.
- Deliver on your commitments and expect others to do the same – a simple yet profound leadership principle is to do what you say you will do. Remember you are constantly being watched, so delivering on your commitments will set a great example and develop a sense of urgency within your team where they will model you and focus on delivering on their commitments.
- Communicate the importance of developing a sense of urgency – people love following a leader who knows who they are and where they are heading, as it makes them feel safe, certain and engaged. Become almost an evangelist when it comes to urgency and communicate this at every opportunity. When you language it, you can have it!
Nothing creates or enhances momentum more than a real sense of urgency and as a leader, you are 100% responsible for creating it. Your team is a reflection of you, so if you believe your team is not demonstrating the sense of urgency you believe they should be, then look no further than in the mirror. You can change it, and when you do, you will experience one of the hidden gems of leadership.
To your continued leadership success.
Darren
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Thank you for taking the time to read this post – I greatly appreciate it, and welcome comments and feedback. Please feel free to comment below, to follow me on LinkedIn, or to connect via Twitter, or Facebook.
Darren is a Sales Leadership and Sales Performance Coach, Facilitator & Speaker. He is an experienced and committed coach with a background of sales leadership success in large organisations. He applies a genuine focus to coaching and developing high performing sales leaders who are looking to unleash the potential of themselves and their teams.
