Four Pillars of Leadership

It has been identified through research & study that there are typically 4 pillars by which a leader aims to establish a healthy, productive and optimistic workplace that provides for both his/her personal growth as well as the team’s development. Research has also proven that if those 4 pillars are evident, exercised & implemented, what comes after that initial phase of laying down the foundation for a successful workplace, is an unstoppable wave of growth & development.

The following points explain how those 4 pillars are applicable and beneficial. 

1. Functionality

Functionality is simply the quality of being useful, practical and right for the purpose for which something was made. Functionality has recently been a buzz in the fitness industry globally. It simply refers to performing the exercises that prove beneficial and have a carry over to one’s real-life situations & applications. Moving this to the business world, it would still imply the same thing. The business decisions one has to make, especially a leader, needs to be beneficial, relevant and practically applicable for the purpose of the overall goal & aim of the team, the company or organization.

The simple parameter that has to be assessed every time a leader, or even a team member, has to make a decision, is whether this is functional or not. Moreover, it has to be assessed to what extent it benefits to the whole team, company or organization as well as each individual member, in relation to the overall plan, goal and target.

Believe it or not, many decisions & choices that would help and benefit the team will have an indirect positive effect on each individual member. This is, in essence, what being “part of the whole” is all about.

Functionality will provide the base on which a team can turn the idea of decisions into simple words that can clarify the benefit and its extent on the team as a whole, its individual members, therefore the whole company or organization.

2. Filtering

Research has shown that the process of filtration of issues, situations, incidents and even people is extremely important for our development and growth. Placing filters is simply separating what is helpful and what is not and keeping what is only relevant and beneficial to the team. The tricky part here is that, identifying what is rewarding and beneficial to the whole is one thing and possessing the ability to eliminate the useless and irrelevant is a totally different issue.

Individuals, teams and companies as a whole have to learn and incorporate the capability of eliminating and filtering through what doesn’t benefit, be it ideas or issues, to the overall process and plan.

Filters will allow the winners to move ahead blocking all the other factors that would halt the progress & success of an organization or company.

3. Visualization

Visualization is an enjoyable process of identifying the “potential” of a team, company, business or organization. A “leader” is a visionary who can see down the road and realize the possibilities lying ahead. Moreover, the “leader” will have the ability to spot the opportunities in the surrounding environment, in the team, the individuals, the market & the business. He passes his vision to the team members and encourages their contribution & participation in comprehending that vision & potential, as well as providing their feedback.

The more discussions, agreements, even disagreements, and feedback, the more the vision grows and a clearer picture of what lies ahead becomes evident.

4. Action

Action is the compilation of all the above steps. It is the most crucial step of self-development and successful leadership, as the main obstacle that faces many companies & organizations, is implementation; “action”. A leader will optimally assess & utilize the expertise & talent within the team to move into that activation & deployment phase. Come with that, there will be delegation and accountability etc..

Switching from the planning to the activation phase could be quite challenging, painful and even fearful sometimes. BUT, a leader always knows that all the good things & success lie on the other side of fear.

Those are the 4 Pillars of Leadership Growth & Development. Practicing, implementing, incorporating and actually “living” those pillars will develop the leader and aid him / her to further develop their team, company or organization and place them on the road to practical achievement of the mission, vision & goals serving their ultimate purpose. Naturally, when adopting those pillars, a variety of other support functions will evolve along the way. Just START!

As Martin Luther King said, “You do not have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”

This #MemberInsights article is authored by AIMS International.