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Leadership Thought #319 – Strive to Operate at Your “Highest and Best” Use

March 15, 2012

Leadership Thought #319 – Strive to Operate at Your “Highest and Best” Use

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There is a term commonly used in real estate when describing the value of an individual property called its “highest and best use.” The highest and best use of a property is always the use that would generate the greatest value, regardless of how the property is currently being used.  I want to encourage leaders to think similarly about their roles. As the lead person in your organization, it is your responsibility to vigorously protect your time and activity. Daily distractions will arise, but you cannot allow them to sap your energy, talent, and focus away from what matters most.

In terms of best use, every leader should be focused on one of the following six responsibilities at least 75% of their time:

1) Defining and implementing a strategic direction for the organization.

2) Actively growing/pushing top-line results.

3) Ensuring financial sustainability through proactive and wise economic decision-making.

4) Establishing a high-performance culture throughout the organization.

5) Growing/upgrading talent in critical roles in the company.

6) Connecting with key customers/stakeholders regularly to solicit feedback and identify new opportunities.

Of course, things do happen, and troubleshooting is sometimes required; however, this should be the exception, not the rule. High-performing leaders know the value of their role and guard their time zealously. As a result, they are rarely in crisis mode because they consistently do what they should be doing to grow a successful organization. Their positive business results compound over time, further separating them from their competition.

I encourage you to rethink how you are spending your time. What does a typical day look like? How much thought are you putting into operating at your “highest and best use?” Are you being proactive about adding value to your leadership role or are you simply reacting to circumstances as they unfold? What would need to change for you to have more of an impact as a leader? An organization thrives, survives, or fails based on its ability to leverage its top assets. There is no bigger personnel asset than the leader of the company.

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