THE SEVEN PILLARS OF PREEMINENCE (copy) (copy)
BOTTOM LINE:
Preeminence is extraordinary excellence that, once reached and sustained, creates a competitive advantage. There are seven pillars every preeminent organization exhibits.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
A litmus test for whether an organization has reached preeminence is whether other organizations aspire to achieve what you have sustained.
Pillar #1: Trust
Trust is the most important five-‐letter word in all of the business.
Trust is a function of character and competency and the combination of the two… character (your credibility) and competency (your reliability)… is the alchemy for making trust move with tremendous speed and effectiveness.
Once established, trust increases speed and reduces cost.
Pillar #2: Relationship Building
Any preeminent company is relationally rich and has relational wealth.
Relationship building is establishing and investing in relationships that genuinely matter to you.
People know when you are genuine by your sincerity and your demonstration of a long-‐term, low-‐pressure mindset in the relationships you have established.
Four characteristics good relationship builders exhibit are as follows:
Connecting with people
Investing in people
Personalizing with people
Observing people
Pillar #3: Marketing Communications
How an organization communicates creates a brand bank account.
A brand is simply a promise kept.
Brand ambassadors understand that everything they say is heard, everything they do is seen, and that they represent the brand through what they say and do.
The area of marketing communications is like a wheel with six spokes: message, messengers, timing, tone, place, and tools; and each spoke requires deliberate attention.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION OR TEAM DISCUSSION:
1. Which of these first 3 pillars is most challenging for your organization and why?
2. What are some practical steps you can take to strengthen that area?
APPLICATION GUIDE – September 2016
The Seven Pillars of Preeminence with Glen Jackson – Part 2
BOTTOM LINE:
Preeminence is extraordinary excellence that, once reached and sustained, creates a competitive advantage. There are seven pillars every preeminent organization exhibits.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
A litmus test for whether an organization has reached preeminence is whether other organizations aspire to achieve what it has sustained.
Pillar #4: Assessment
Assessment is essential. You must always take time to ask key questions about your business to make sure it is moving forward the right way—and to keep looking for a better way.
There are seven key assessment questions leaders should ask, as follows:
1. What do we need to anticipate?
2. What do we need to fix?
3. What do we need to improve?
4. Where can we innovate more effectively?
5. How and where can we give back?
6. How am I growing as a leader?
7. What is the wise thing to do?
Pillar #5: The Cultural Torch of Servant Leadership
When strategy clashes with culture, culture always wins. Culture is like a torch that shines externally. People see it, notice it, and want to be around it. When combined with servant leadership, it is very powerful.
Pillar #6: Fanatical Focus
This pillar requires you to focus on what you do best—and never force a decision.
It means saying “no” to things that could distract you and blur your focus and overarching vision. Always remember that opportunity does not equal obligation.
Pillar #7: Resiliency
Resiliency is navigating the peaks and valleys of the marketplace around you and not being blown off course by the storms.
You must eschew the path of least resistance and push the envelope in a way that is true to your brand and different than your competition.
o Servant leadership is having a mindset that no task is too small or too big for the servant leader. You do little things and big things with equal commitment.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION OR TEAM DISCUSSION:
1. Which of these last 4 pillars is most challenging for your organization and why? 2. What are some practical steps you can take to strengthen that area?
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