The True Bottom Line of Leadership

Quality and metrics of executing vision

If a high-quality idea represents a vision at the beginning, the quality of it represents the vision as it turns into a reality. A vision and how it is compelling is represented not by the bottom line or KPIs but by the consistent quality of its execution and so, leadership. Visionary leadership is about being clear about our goals and knowing how to meet people’s expectations. Without consistent and clear metrics, this is just busywork.

Visionary leadership stands on the high quality of execution and clear metrics that define people's expectations. Without clear and vision-centered metrics, the whole journey is a pure gamble. It is impossible to reach a destination without knowing what it is. Quality standards show the desired level of mastery needed to execute the goal. Therefore, metrics must be set clearly and accepted by all involved, and quality of execution to be maintained at the highest possible level.

In reality, quality and metrics of leadership is something we often neglect or shy to talk about.

If a vision is a result of quality thinking, then its execution should reflect that quality. A vision only thrives as a result of quality execution. Quality must be a habit from the moment of the vision's creation. A vision succeeds or fails based on the quality of the work put into it.

Prof. Amit Kapoor, Chairman of Institute for Competitiveness (India) gives central importance to executing a vision, “Everything is about quality. If I'm not able to deliver that quality, I just lose it, everything just gets lost. You build your vision on quality and you destroy your vision on quality. If you don't pursue vision with quality, it's just actually going to be a lost cause over a period of time.”

Not executing vision with the best possible quality leads to falling into juggling with consequences. We don’t talk enough about the quality of execution falling short as the cause of failure in immediate and long-term goals. Crappy work doesn’t inspire anyone. Inspiration comes from seeing good quality work on the part of leaders and fellow employees.

We can maintain control over consistency but can’t control inconsistency. If allowed, inconsistency takes control over us and everything we do. Therefore, control over the consistency of quality is critical and makes execution simpler and more effective. Consistent and quality work is only possible with the full cooperation of the entire team. That requires the leader taking an active and personal interest in the team and the whole process.

Strong leadership is about quality of execution, not quantity. Leadership is not about fancy reports but what your people would achieve under your leadership. This is about constantly asking four simple questions
 

Asking these questions and seeking answers to them leads to more effective execution and higher satisfaction of employees and customers. Let your people be proud of their work and customers to be happy with what they get.

By doing everything with the quality, you show appreciation to people that believe in your vision. Poor quality is a sign of disrespect to people’s expectations and a betrayal of their effort and commitment. At the same time, we always have the possibility to improve quality if we’re prepared to admit our shortfalls. If we don’t do this voluntarily, then we will be forced to correct them later at a much higher cost.

Quality of execution and metrics are bound together and reflect the greatness of a vision. Yet, metrics must be much more than short-term goals celebrated in quarterly reports. Without good metrics and the ability to read them, there is no way to determine how much actual progress is being made.

Thomas Kolditz, PhD, Executive Director of Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, Brigadier General (Retired) commented, “There's always a tremendous demand in business to think only one quarter ahead in the budget cycle. And so, they do their metrics and their progress analysis based on pretty much just the next budget needed. This is where effective execution loses an alignment with a long-term vision.”

A vision sets expectations and people judge its execution in accordance with those expectations. Metrics should demonstrate to what extent those expectations are met. In the end, the vision will be capitalized based on meeting expectations. Thus, metrics must be set clear from day one. As Mark Thompson, the world's #1 CEO Coach and a Venture Investor explains, “one of the things that's a common mistake in launching a venture or launching an initiative is we don't have an agreed sense of quality and metrics clear to all.”

Metrics must be challenging enough to encourage people to do their best every day and clear enough so people know where to focus their efforts. Setting metrics is not about educated guesses, but about being precise as you can’t afford even a slight deviation from the goal.

When metrics that should reflect people’s desires and expectations are not clearly defined, execution is left to rely on the bottom line and reports full of empty promises. Vague promises allowing people to read into them whatever they want. They deliver no result at the end and only consequences for people to live with. The quality of such ‘report-bounded’ leadership is a fairly subjective matter.

Visionaries put themselves in a very different position. They assume responsibility for turning expectations into tangible results and capitalize on them. Visionaries understand that metrics must be objective, not subjective. The metrics of vision must lead to a vision-focused, realistic, appealing, timely, and likely result which reflects people’s expectations.

Metrics must reflect the core vision’s goal. It is critical to understand how long a result will last and if it actually reflects the vision’s goal. If the metrics reflect only the bottom line, then the vision will not last. You might still have short-term success, but it won’t continue into the future. Last year’s profit doesn’t guarantee sustainable success.

If you set metrics not supported by values people won’t commit to the vision. Without metrics that resonate in minds and hearts, people will only feign commitment and enthusiasm.

Clarity of metrics reflects clarity of solutions to a problem. People would follow you as a leader and would invest in your vision if the metrics of it are clear to all, not only for you. Thus, they invest in the meanings which are self-evident and appealing to everyone and give a sense of control and satisfaction.

Visionary leadership is about offering a new level of quality of life and business. Therefore, the quality of its execution should speak for itself. Even in tough times, as we are facing now, you can give up on many things – scale, processes, or deadlines, in anything except quality. At the end of the day, quality is what matters most.

Your vision, and so leadership, will be capitalized on the metrics that reflect people’s expectations and how their expectations are met. Common metrics would lead to a commonly ordinary result, while challenging and appealing metrics would lead to extraordinary results and extraordinary success.