Master the Seven Functions of Leadership
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,
and the only way to be truly satisfied is to
do what you believe is great work.”
Steve Jobs
Taking all this introspection and planning to the next level means applying it.
Mastering these seven functions of leadership detailed by Yale University professor Kenneth Blanchard is essential for driving your venture to success. So let’s take a closer look at each function.
1. Vision and Purpose 🔭
Your most important function as head of the organisation is to set goals for team members to encourage them to work confidently and enthusiastically. Then you must come up with strategies to achieve those goals. Essentially, you want to design a roadmap for your team that directs them on the path to achieving your business objectives.
Articulate the Vision
Communicate the Purpose
Integrate into Decisions
Model Through Actions
Reinforce Strategic Focus
Revise Periodically
Commitment to purpose-inspired direction sets the tone for what matters most in your business.
2. Creativity and Innovation 🎨
You are pivotal in championing innovation and creativity within the business by:
Emphasising Experimentation
Encouraging Ideas
Setting Challenges
Embracing Diversity
Providing Autonomy
Your team needs safety, support, and permission to step into breakthrough innovations.
3. Problem Solving 🧩
Important practices for problem-solving within your business include:
Proactively Identify Issues
Involve Others in Diagnosis
Drive Solution Generation
Test Solutions Rapidly
Commit Resources
Learn from Outcomes
Organisational resilience thrives in an analytical, collaborative, and iterative approach to tackling challenges.
4. Building and Maintaining Relationships 🤝
Key responsibilities in this leadership function include:
Fostering Partnerships
Engaging Investors
Cultivating Leaders
Attending Events
Gathering Referrals
Resolving Conflicts
Establishing trust with diverse stakeholders results in exponential network effects, goodwill, and advocacy benefits for your organisation.
5. Communication and Feedback 🔁
Your visible involvement, sincerity, and clarity in communication and feedback fuels teams that feel heard, respected, and motivated to deliver their best.
Be Transparent
Create Feedback Channels
Give Clear Direction
Deliver Constructive Feedback
Simplify Messages
Explain Context
Fostering clear, transparent, and impactful communication throughout your organisation to drive alignment and engagement.
6. Inspiring and Motivating Others 🪁
You play a vital leadership role when it comes to inspiring and motivating others in the business, especially employees.
Communicate Vision
Walk the Talk
Recognise Contributions
Support Development
Promote Community
Facilitate Autonomy
Embody the values, behaviours, and work ethic you expect from your team. Your actions and decisions should serve as a model for your employees to follow.
7. Change Management and Process Improvement 🧰
As an entrepreneur, it’s important that you:
Identify the Needs
Express Goals
Formulate Solutions
Drive Adoption
Track Progress
Celebrate Success
Effective change leadership allows your organisation to continually grow and adapt to evolving business needs.
↙️ Next
Answer the quiz below to mark this lesson – and module! – as complete.