Many leaders are challenged to deliver significantly bigger outcomes, but few choose new approaches. For most, it’s easier to push themselves and their teams harder along the known path to success rather than consider new paths (or new vehicles). Exceptional leaders recognise that new mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets are required to deliver supersized results. These leaders know they must make fundamental changes and recognise that leadership is a key lever of organisational performance. They identify a handful of core issues, which typically include:

• “We need greater ownership and accountability.”
• “We are stuck in the business, not leading the business.”
• “We are not good at executing.”
• “We lack bench strength.”
• “We need new capability.”

While it may start as a list, they see these as interconnected parts of a greater whole. They understand that systemic challenges need systemic answers, not stand-alone solutions. They value integrated roadmaps that demonstrate how to get ‘FROM HERE TO THERE.’

These exceptional leaders look outside their organisations and industries for best practice examples of success in relevant areas. They value evidence-based approaches that are grounded in solid frameworks and are repeatable in multiple contexts. They know that “leader-led” change is the key to success and are willing to be personally vulnerable. Finally, they know that structured feedback and processes over time are fundamental for sustained change. They want a leadership system that is finely tuned to help execute their unique transformation.

Taking a systematic approach helps them capture value:

• Companies using a leadership system achieve their 3-year objectives within +/- 10%.
• Organisations that address each of the four high-performance areas: Direction, Culture, Growth, and Execution are far more likely to be in the 30% who succeed with major change.

CVANZ is a product organisation that has earned the respect and trust of both optical practitioners and wearers. Interviewees described the culture as customer-centred and task-focused. Strong customer relationships are built on a broad field sales force mandate. The sales team does everything from in-store servicing to marketing support and education. As a result, in-field tactical activities and campaigns overwhelm the opportunity to set up more strategic business partnerships. There is an opportunity to better leverage research and academic papers to differentiate CV as the premium offering in the market. Demonstrating an understanding of the key drivers of the customer would enable CVANZ reps to move beyond the product specialist role.