Lighthouse News

The Vector Model of Leadership

A vector has two components: direction and magnitude. A direction is the straight line from here to there. Magnitude is how much talent, skill and energy is driving us from here to there.

Vector theory begins with facing reality and ends with achieving a vision. High-performance leaders know we can’t make progress if we don’t have an accurate idea of our present performance reality, nor can we make progress if we don’t have a clear vision of the desired future that we’re trying to make progress toward.

6 Steps to Achieving a Desired Outcome

Step 1: Present Reality Check

Before we can know where we want to go, the first step is to discover the reality of where we are in the present. Finances and market stats are often the primary measuring sticks, but assessment of our talent pool and organizational culture are also critical, although difficult to measure.

Investigate by holding meetings, host organizational surveys, employee assessments, and gather the facts. Put all that information into a box, this gives us a clear (as possible) view of our present performance reality.

Step 2: Vision of a Desired Future

Next, we formulate a concept of how we want to be at some future time. This is the beginning of our Vision of a desirable future that is better than our present reality (Figure 1.) Having a worthwhile vision, specific, and clearly articulated, is a hallmark of a great leader. The great leader says, “I have a dream . . .” or, “Let me describe to you what I think we are capable of accomplishing together.” The vision is often created in a collaborative effort; an aggregation and evolution of ideas. But the vision means nothing without buy-in from the many.

Step 3: Vector of Success

Planning a feasible pathway from the Present Reality to the Vision of the Desired Future is critical. We analyze conditions, project outcomes, and strain our minds to figure out what critical success factors are required to get us there. We set goals based on critical success factors. We measure our progress by setting up measuring sticks, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The feasible pathway is our Vector of Success.

Step 4: Recognize the Limitations

Getting from here to there is done through other people. In a perfect world all people in the organization would understand the Vision perfectly and work toward the Vision perfectly (Figure 2.)   The sum of the efforts of each individual employee would add up perfectly to achieve the Vision.

In the imperfect real world, however, a new reality sets in. Other people don’t follow the Vector of Success. This occurs universally to one degree or another, due to five possible causes:

• they don’t understand the Vision
• they don’t know how to get there
• they don’t agree with the Vision
• they don’t agree with the Vector
• they just don’t care

The result is we have a bit of chaos in the individual vectors of the employees (Figure 3.) Each vector that does not align with the Vector of Success reveals an inefficiency. Sometimes we have employees who, like Employee A and Employee B in Figure 3, work in equal and opposite directions of the vertical axis, and their net result is zero. What a waste!

Step 5: Feedback and Course Corrections

Misaligned individual vectors cannot be avoided. The big secret to the Vector of Success is a course correction. The Apollo 11 moon flight was reportedly off course 90% of the time (Charles Garfield, 1997), yet landed within 15 feet of its intended destination. This was accomplished by two key continuous elements: a feedback system, and course corrections. We need to become informed when we’re off course, and we need to be willing and able to make corrections to get us back on the intended course.

Step 6: In Practice

These concepts seem self-evident to us because we all experience them. Consider learning to play a sport or a musical instrument. We practice over and over again and get better and better. If we’re lucky we have an expert coach or instructor to give us feedback and help us make timely course corrections.

Consider employees we know who are unsuccessful. Isn’t it often that they just don’t see that they’re off course? Maybe they’re not getting the feedback they need from us.   What if we the leaders don’t see that we’re off course? Beyond the bumbling that goes on when the blind lead the blind, what does it say about our feedback system? If we have one at all, is it giving us feedback that is accurate, timely, and relevant? A feedback system provides an update on our Present Reality. When feedback has identified the need for a course correction, how do we do it? When correcting employees there are specific skills necessary to make it effective and constructive, that we won’t go into here. When correcting employees there are specific skills necessary to make it effective and constructive, but those will be described in a future article called Feedback and Course Corrections.

Making It Happen

Imagine with me, what your life will be like when your employees understand, are committed to, and have the skills to achieve a shared vision of a better future for the organization.  Would that mean greater success for you?  A feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment?  Less stress for you? Is that a vision worth fighting for?  There are people who make it happen, others who watch it happen, and the rest who wonder what happened.

If you’re willing to “make it happen” and take action to apply Vector Leadership in your organization, the next step is to get expert guidance.  That’s where I can help.  Were I to become your leadership coach and consultant we would discuss, and work out the answers to these and other questions:

• How would you describe your present reality?
• What evidence do you have to know your understanding is accurate?
• How would you describe your clear and detailed vision of a desired better future?
• How well do your employees understand the vision and their part in getting there?
• What feedback mechanisms do you have to identify when someone is off course?
• What corrective mechanisms do you have in place for one who is off course?

You may wonder what it looks like to have a leadership coach.  The Lighthouse Coaching Model that describes it is found HERE.

Vector leadership is all about strategy. Rather than shooting for a goal and hoping you land perfectly, recognize where you’re at in the present, set the course for where you want to go, and create well crafted KPI’s along the route to ensure you’re on course. Expect course corrections! For coaching, group training or workshops contact me here. Let’s make Vector Leadership happen for you, together!

Doug Lundrigan, MBA