How many books are there on leadership? Tens of thousands, maybe.
Jim CastigliaIn my library, I have at least 20 books with the word “leadership” in the title, and this doesn’t include about 25 more that reference the topic.
Harvard Business School says that leadership includes:
- Your motivational drivers.
- Your emotional intelligence.
- Your communication skills.
- Meeting challenges effectively.
- Managing the conditions that drive team performance.
- Coaching others & their development.
You can invest $2,000 to $15,000 and up to one year on various Harvard online courses to enhance your leadership and management skills. You can also do onsite executive leadership programs or their MBA program for thousands of dollars more.
On the Subject of Leadership
There’s no lack of information on the subject of leadership.
However, what strategy do great leaders use when you boil it all down? Let me set the stage to stimulate your thinking in this direction.
“Like a bolt of lightning out of a darkening sky, war burst upon the American landscape in the spring of 1861, climaxing decades of bitter wrangling and pitting two vast sections of a young and vigorous nation against each other. Northerners called it the War of the Rebellion, Southerners the War Between the States. We know it simply as the Civil War.” — from the Dept. of the Interior; National Park Service.
Abraham Lincoln, the newly elected president of the United States, set his war aim to preserve the Union. Five days after the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, the bloodiest day of the war, with over 5,000 killed in action, he added the moral goal of ending slavery in the 11 rebellious states by issuing the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
- Goal 1 achieved: May 26, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War. Preserve the Union.
- Goal 2 achieved: the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, ratified on December 6, 1865.
In 1977, Richard Allen, an advisor to Ronald Reagan, asked the president his theory of U.S.-Soviet relations. “Here’s my strategy on the Cold War,” Reagan replied. We win, they lose.”
- Goal achieved: late 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. We win, they lose.
Supreme Allied Commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) Dwight D. Eisenhower’s goal was to defeat the Nazis and end the war in Europe.
- The goal was achieved on Tuesday, May 8, 1945, with Germany's unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe.
John F. Kennedy delivered a special message to Congress in May 1961: “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.
- Goal achieved: July 20, 1969. Land a man on the moon.
Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s message to America was to “Make America Great Again.” This 4-word goal spurred 77 million Americans to vote for Trump in a decisive November victory. He won the popular vote by 2.3 million votes over Kamala Harris, swept all seven swing states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada), and garnered 312 Electoral College votes. (You get 100 points if you can cite Harris’ message.)
- Goal achieved: in process. Make America Great Again.
Using Specific, Easily Remembered Objectives
With these examples, what stands out to you? For me, it’s these five leaders' specific, easily remembered objectives. Anyone with even a basic education can understand them.
In my humble opinion, this is the critical task of leadership. Set a clear, understandable goal that inspires your people to perform at their best. It should have a “gulp” factor… that is, when your people hear it, they “gulp” because it’s a BHAG—a Big, Hairy, Ambitious Goal. Every one of the goals cited above was a BHAGS. These objectives galvanized people to perform.
They firmly defined, “This is where we’re going.”
How many of you know the answer to this question: where are we going as an organization? Do your employees, or if you manage a department, do your staff understand where the organization is headed? Can they tell you in a single sentence? I challenge you to survey your people and ask them where they think the company’s going.
This is a huge failure point, given that people want to work for a company “on a mission” and be part of something bigger than themselves. These BHAGS and gulp-factor goals inspire people, and your objective as a leader is to create an environment that brings out the best in your staff.
Do just this one thing of clarifying your firm’s destination and watch what happens in 2025.
If you have any questions or need help, don’t hesitate to email me at jvcastiglia@icloud.com or 949.338.7141. I love helping business owners grow.
Jim Castiglia is the founder of Business Street Fighter Consulting and supports entrepreneurial business owners in their desire to grow and maximize the value of their business. He can be reached by phone at 949-338-7141
