#HRTechChat: Mastering Leadership through Setting Direction and Controlling Traffic

Welcome to the fourth podcast in The Five Talents that Really Matter series.  In this podcast we begin to introduce the five talents, beginning with Setting Direction and Controlling Traffic.   There is a familiar phrase: “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else."  While setting direction is where all great strategies begin, in our conversation with Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton, the authors of The Five Talents, we learn that it might be one of the rarest talents. Successfully setting direction requires: 1. The destination has to be a place worth going to—a destination where people want to come along. 2. Getting people to come along is not just a matter of telling people your direction, you have to engage them—it requires listening, connection, and the ability to articulate a compelling picture around why you are going there. 3. It is important to connect each person to the destination and the work they are doing;  people have to know how they create value and how their contribution to work matters. Many times, however, leaders can propose a direction, and it is met with skepticism because the direction was formulated in a vacuum, or it was the result of consultants formulating a direction that is not authentic to where the organization needs to go to be a success in the marketplace.  What we know is that it is difficult to inspire people and build a shared commitment to the future state.   What we learn from Barry and Sarah is that you need to pay attention to the terrain.  Having a map is the beginning, but understanding the terrain is essential, and that is where controlling traffic is important.  It requires agility, adjusting to market conditions, recognizing opportunities that lie ahead, making sure that the organization is positioned for success.   What I love about this conversation is that Barry and Sarah give us notable examples of how the best leaders can control traffic.  Execution capability is essential—the ability to effectively execute and orchestrate action. Join the conversation on Setting Direction and Controlling Traffic to learn more. The Five Talent that Really Matter is available on August 27th.