<p>Seeing the big picture is truly integral to our overall success. Whether we lead a team or are part of a team of leaders. Each member has a role to fill toward our collective success and what we each contribute is key. Much like a symphony. The relationship between all the parts is what makes the whole magnificent. That magnificence exceeds the sum of its parts.<br /> <br /> But how do we get to that level of magnificence? When we have been conditioned to perfect our individual part, is it realistic then to consider the whole? <br /> <br /> We can liken it to drawing a blue print for our success. There are relationships that must be intact on the page for the plan to be accepted and approved. There are elements to the design that if not done well or considered in the overall plan, can cause harm or a breakdown in the structure. <br /> <br /> So you might be wondering how this all applies to you, in your office, or with your team. Well, it applies from the perspective that if there is a member of your team that is out of sync, a plan that does not consider all parts, or a leader who doesn't play nice in the sandbox, your potential failure is imminent. The way we increase our odds for success, create a plan together that considers all parts.&nbsp; Here are 4 tips for doing just that.<br /> <br /> 1) <strong>Get out of your Silo</strong> - often time leaders of teams and projects will make decisions in a silo. The plans and strategy come from one or two individuals who unfortunately out of fear or want for control hold on to all decisions and keep them centric to their domain of influence. The upside to getting out of your silo and including other people at the planning stage is that you gather more points of view from the people who are doing the work.<br /> <br /> 2)&nbsp;<strong>Deepen your Toolbox</strong> - as reported by Harvard Business Review, 1/3 of all leaders fail within the first 5 years of promotion not because they can't "do" the job, but because they lack inner-personal skills to build relationships. They are focused on the tasks and authority or responsibility versus increasing capacity for a supportive and affirming environment. To successfully lead, it takes having the tools that cause you to think in new ways, let go of control and share responsibilities and decision making up and down in your organization.<br /> <br /> 3) <strong>Know what Matters Most&nbsp;</strong>- Many of us are crunched for time, deluged by information, and paralyzed by the weight of too many choices. The best prescription for these modern maladies may be to approach ones own life in a contextual, big picture fashion - to distinguish between what really matters and what merely annoys. Then align our actions to produce the greatest results based on what matters.<br /> <br /> 4) <strong>Get your Metaphor -</strong> <em>The material comforts brought forth by abundance ultimately matter much less than the metaphors you live by - whether, say, you think of your life as a "journey" or as a "treadmill." A large part of self understanding is the search for appropriate personal metaphors that make sense of our lives.</em>" Daniel Pink. This same principle can apply to our teams and projects at work. Having a metaphor that aligns with the work you do and the "why" you do it can be the common vision component that the members of your team need to feel aligned. In other words, you may be limiting your ability as a leader or your teams ability to succeed because there is no key agreement, picture or identifier that binds it all together.</p> <p>The success you desire is within your grasp, it takes planning, accounting, partnering and knowing the big picture to really achieve it.</p> <p><em>Remember: </em>You have to envision it to create it, and believe it to receive it.</p> 2009-08-19T17:04:17Z -3.69722 225 6013 true 5 13582 4-tips-to-mapping-your-success-as-a-leader 8 2009-08-20T09:49:32Z 2009-08-20T15:49:48Z

Leaders today struggle with many things, some forced upon them, some inherent to their personality and limiting beliefs. And, while obstacles may come and go, we will never achieve true success without a clear map to get us there.

1 2009-08-24T19:57:04Z