“People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”
-John Maxwell
Today now more than ever everyone is trying to to sell something to someone. Whether is it is on TV, the radio, billboards that we drive by or even online. Advertising is everywhere. Often times that same product that is trying to be sold utilizes all of these platforms/resources at once. The strategy behind this is that the more someone sees or hears about their product and what it can do to better their lives often times leads the customer to become be intrigued to buy it and does so. The good, old hook line and sinker. Do you see this same type of happening occur in your line of work with the vision that is being promoted within your organization? But more importantly the question for you is this….do you buy into the vision first or the leader who embodies that vision?
American author and motivational speaker John Maxwell believes that people buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. His quote resonates with me because as a leader of a school it is the relationships that I have with the staff, students and parents that matters most to me, more so than any test scores could ever do. When my principal and I interview prospective candidates who want to come to work at our school we believe they are interviewing us as much as we are interviewing them. And yes the conversations around our philosophy and vision as to how we educate our children are embedded throughout the interviews we conduct, we also make sure to present ourselves authentically during the interviews so they get to know us as people and our philosophy as it pertains to education. This will help them decide if we are a match for them and their beliefs too.
Often times businesses post their vision in their front entrance way when employees and customers come through each and every day but often times that is where it stops. A vision should never be only surface level just like someone’s job title is just a title. It is what is behind both of these that matter. For the purpose of today, the vision must be seen throughout and within each employee that works there and visible throughout the office. Often times people think that the vision is in fact the brand and in my opinion that they would be wrong. The brand of any organization is the people that work within it and is attributed to the leader who puts the needs of others first before their own. The leader takes the time to know their personnel on a personal level and do what works best for whom they serve. This is of course their employees and the customers. In doing so, people see their leader and their authenticity on display which contributes to that buy into them as a person which translates to the buy in to the vision of the organization. This makes the whole vibe and experience a positive one, thus making it a great environment to grow and thrive in for all.
What does this quote mean to you and how can you apply today’s message towards developing your relationship skills?
Becoming The Change 