The unquestionable power of clarity in leadership
When you’re surrounded by a cloud of questions, how do you clear the air so you can lead without distraction and doubt?
Clarity is rarely a conscious goal for leaders, yet every leader is consciously aware of its absence. It is a state of mind first achieved by the leader, then the followers, then customers.
Why is it so important? Consider all the areas of leadership where it’s necessary—and where its nonexistence leaves a vacuum.
- Clarity in relationships
- Clarity in job descriptions and assignments
- Clarity in vision
- Clarity in delegation
- Clarity in communication
- Clarity in conflict
- Clarity in celebration
- Clarity in strategy
- Clarity of authority
If ambiguity rules in these areas, people will feel like they’re not being led well. They naturally seek clarity, even if unconsciously so. They like to know what they’re supposed to be doing, where they should be going.
Not that they want to be micromanaged, of course. The clarity they desire has to do with expectations and purpose.
Clarity is better than simplicity. Simple is good, but not necessary. If an employee understands a new concept, it may still seem complex to outsiders, but now she can help them understand it too.
Clarity is not necessarily obvious. It stands on its own. It is fact. It is truth. It is memorable. It is easily memorized.
It is a journey from complexity, chaos, questions, confusion, and conflict to comprehension. To “Aha!”
It is a process of removing obstacles that demotivate, demoralize and derail.
- Clarity sells.
- Clarity motivates.
- Clarity is clear vision.
- Clarity cuts through the clutter.
- Clarity clears the air.
- Clarity removes the cloud so you can see the mountaintop.
When questions abound, clarity is the ultimate goal, the single solution.
As you lead, do you seek to answer questions before they arise? Would you say you yourself have clarity in all the areas you need it?
Clarity is coming, but not now. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully . . .” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Excerpted from Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership, by Tom Harper (DeepWater Books, Dec. 2019). Foreword by Richard Blackaby. View the book trailer.
Photo source: istock
 | Tom Harper is publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and executive chairman of Networld Media Group, a business-to-business publisher and event producer. He has written five books, including Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership (DeepWater Books, 2019) as well as the Christian business fable Through Colored Glasses and its sequel Inner Threat (DeepWater, 2022). Learn More » |
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