If you own a real estate business, you are the leader. You are leading your company somewhere, but the question is where? Where are you taking your company? Do you know?
Business consultants, and I’m one of them, talk about the importance of a Vision. Over the years I’ve seen people come up with Mission Statements, I’ve seen them pinch Mission Statements from other companies, and I’ve watched them trot Mission Statements out for the big launch.
But a week later everybody’s forgotten about the Mission Statement. And so the businesses roll on… doing the same old things… jumping from one activity to another will little thought or direction.
The fact is, without direction from the top, the company will become activity-driven, and sometimes drama-driven, reacting to problems such as a lack of sales, but never taking control of the situation and driving the business forward.
Perhaps the idea of a Vision is too high fallutin’. But without a Vision, the goal can quickly become survival, and this is a pathetic vision to aim for.
If you don’t have a clear Vision for your company you aren’t alone. In the absence of all else, may I suggest a Vision for you? Try this one:
PURSUE EXCELLENCE
Push yourself (first), then your people and your company towards being the best you and they can become.
I like the pursuit of excellence. I think that the pursuit of excellence for its own sake is still a good thing. Working at becoming all you can become, and taking your people and your company on the journey with you, is a noble pursuit. Anything less is frustrating, a waste of life.
This isn’t cheap, but neither is stagnation. Pursuing excellence means spending money on training yourself to be a better leader, constantly looking for great ideas to inject into your business, having a willingness to remove mediocre people who do not want to get better; you must be uncompromising with mediocrity.
Excellence does, however, inject new life into any business. The people are energised. The business is exciting, its people inspiring.
Another upside is that an obvious pursuit of excellence attracts the best people to the company. Like attracts like. Mediocrity attracts mediocrity. Excellence attracts excellence. To attract good people you have to be attractive.
Decisions become easier to make because there is a benchmark for all comparisons:
What would the best agency in the world do?
You don’t have to ‘roll out’ excellence. You live it.
Make a decision that you are going to become the best leader, parent, partner – whatever – that you can become. Then buy your first book and read it. Take your team to a seminar and afterwards work out a plan of action to implement some of the ideas from that seminar. Give team members gifts of inscribed books. Share with the team some of the ideas you’ve learned.
If the team sees you intent on learning and implementing good ideas, the best will do what you do. Mediocrity is contagious, but so too is Excellence.
Do nothing and you, by default, lead your company and your team downwards. Pursue excellence and you are sure to reach new heights.
Treat Excellence seriously and you will find it extremely profitable, but rewarding in many other ways too.
Where are you taking your company? Let’s hope that it’s on an unwavering journey towards Excellence.
No going back – make it a one-way trip. It will be the most enjoyable and rewarding journey you ever make.