Shifts in the competitive environment, in consumer habits and preferences, in processes and operations, in technology, in regulation鈥� You can see many of these changes coming. You have to stay alert. This means investing time in thinking about the long term and asking yourself how the foundations of your business鈥� competitiveness might evolve in the future.
Discover the Guide to the main types of leaders, which one are you?
7 questions to find out if you are a visionary leader
Answering these听seven questions will tell you whether you鈥檙e a leader with vision.
1. Can you anticipate your clients鈥� needs?听
As long as you have satisfied customers, the future of your company is secure. But don鈥檛 wait for them to tell you what they need.听础苍迟颈肠颈辫补迟别听their demands, practice听active listening,听补苍诲听offer solutions听instead of selling products. If you don鈥檛, someone else will. Digitalization has made consumers aware of their power. They compare companies from one day to the next. And many don鈥檛 even complain when dissatisfied; they simply choose a different option. The good news is that you can also听use digital technologies听to listen to and interact better with your customers and compete effectively in markets in constant evolution.
2. Do you keep an eye on your competitors?听
This includes the ones you have today and the ones you could have in the future. Michael Porter鈥檚 theses on听competitive forces听are as valid today as ever:听the threat isn鈥檛 limited to the competition听exerted by traditional actors in a given sector or industry.Rather,听it can take the form of an innovative business model听(like those based on the听collaborative economy),听a disruptive technology听(濒颈办别听3D printing) or听a radical transformation of distribution channels听(like the one being led by some听digital platforms).The competition is increasingly complex and unpredictable. But, precisely because of this, you have to be sure to keep an eye all fronts: the technology that鈥檚 coming, the consumption and purchasing habits that are taking hold, the companies that offer alternative business models鈥�
3. Are you constantly making improvements?听
The most effective managers and the top businesses never stop asking how they can improve. They question not only听how听to do things (operations), but听also听what听they do听(their听value proposition) 补苍诲听even听for whom听(their听target customers). And although there is no general rule for detecting potential improvements in efficiency, there are priority areas where you can act to听transform operations听and turn them into a听source of important competitive advantage.
4. Do you prioritize what鈥檚 important, and not just what鈥檚 urgent?听
Preparing a company for the future is one of a CEO鈥檚 most important responsibilities. It鈥檚 a task that should never be postponed or delegated. However, it鈥檚 very common in the general manager鈥檚 day-to-day for the urgent to take precedence over the important. The听general manager鈥檚 schedule听reveals which processes take the largest share of his or her time and which tasks aren鈥檛 getting enough attention. Take a look at your schedule 补苍诲听make sure to set aside quality time to think about and work on the future.
5. Can you communicate your strategy at all levels?听
A vision, no matter how brilliant, will never be realized if it鈥檚 not shared with and accepted by the rest of the organization. However, there are still many companies and CEOs that tend to听lock up听the strategy in boardrooms or to share it only with top-level managers. Big mistake.The corporate strategy shouldn鈥檛 be treated with the same secrecy as the formula for Coca-Cola. Of course it鈥檚 better not to clue in the competition too much. But, as听Jaume Llopis听says,听鈥渉aving the best strategy in the world means nothing if your team doesn鈥檛听buy it.鈥�听Moreover, it鈥檚 been shown that听employees鈥� commitment and motivation听tend to increase when they participate in strategy development by sharing ideas听and suggestions with their supervisors. 驴How to improve your strategic thinking?
6. Do you look beyond your own organization?听
Keeping up to date on听business trends, on changes in听key sectors听of the economy and on听political, technological, sociocultural and regulatory changes听is important for being able to glimpse potential market shifts. The general manager鈥檚 radar must always be on.
7. Do you sketch out future scenarios?
We鈥檙e not talking about developing multi-year strategic plans (since in such a rapidly changing environment, these become outdated quickly). Instead, we鈥檙e talking about听imagining an ideal future for the company beyond plans, schedules, and budgets. In order to define this vision for the future, it鈥檚 useful to ask yourself questions such as: Where would we like to be in 10, 20 or 30 years? What will our primary activities be? What needs will we have to satisfy? What do we want to be recognized for? Reflecting on these answers will make it easier to reach a shared vision for the company. One useful tool is听scenario planning听which, as听听explains, makes it possible to glimpse the business environment in the future and make better strategic decisions.
Discover the 13 questions to find out if you are a good leader.
天美传媒’s masters and executive education programs are an ideal environment for asking yourself these and other questions. Along with other executives with the same goals as you, you鈥檒l be able to听go further by cultivating and expanding your strategic vision.
