Page 10 - Leadership 20-1

While leaders may or may not be directly involved in day-to-day
implementation and production, they are always responsible
for ensuring that people have what they need to do their work
efectively. Tis is where your work as a leader requires that you
step into a new and critical role: that of a champion. Successful
execution of a vision can’t happen without the deep commitment
and active championing of leaders.
In the VAE model, championing execution boils down to three
key behaviors: creating momentum, putting structure in place,
and providing feedback. Championing execution is as much
about establishing and defning your credibility as an efective
leader as it is about helping the organization or team achieve the
vision. Leaders who are deeply committed and actively engaged
understand that execution is a process.
THE VAE MODEL
To build alignment, efective leaders use clarity, dialogue, and
inspiration to build both emotional and rational buy-in for a As you navigate your leadership journey, the fundamental work
vision. When both rational and emotional needs are met, when of crafing a vision, building alignment around that vision, and
leaders reach the head and heart, true alignment changes the way championing execution of the vision will guide your progress
team members view their actions; they embrace team decisions and keep your followers focused. When the VAE model is
and organizational actions as if they were their own. As Seth applied widely across organizations, it can beneft the whole
Godin, author of Tribes, puts it, “Te challenge for the leader is to culture. When the principles of VAE take hold, there is a sense
help your tribe sing, whatever form that song takes” (p.124). of community and working together toward a common goal.
When things go well, there are celebrations. When there are
CHAMPIONING EXECUTION disappointments, people work together to determine what went
Once the vision is crafed and people are aligned, how do you wrong, without pointing fngers. Tere is talk about “us,” “we,”
as the leader contribute to a successful execution? Research and “together.” Everyone realizes he or she is part of something
from Teresa Amabile of the Harvard Business School begins bigger than anyone could have achieved alone, and that is a
to point toward an answer. Amabile (2012) studied the social journey worth taking.
and psychological components necessary for people to produce
good work. Of the four components she identifed, two deal REFERENCES
specifcally with a sense of achievement. First, people are Amabile, T. (2012). Componential theory of creativity [Abstract]. Harvard
most creative and productive when they have a passion for a Business School. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/7011.html
task that is interesting, involving, personally challenging, or George., B. (2010). Empowering People to Lead. In J. Perry (Ed.), Nonproft
satisfying. Second, cultural and environmental factors stimulate and Public Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
creativity and productivity, such as when leaders encourage a
sense of positive challenge in the work, collaboration, and the Godin, S. (2008). Tribes: We need you to lead us (p. 124). New York, NY:
development of new ideas; and when they support innovation, Portfolio Hardcover.
give appropriate recognition, and create ways to actively share Straw, J., Scullard, M., Kukkonen, S., Davis, B., (2013). The work of leaders:
ideas across the organization. In other words, you can create an How vision, alignment, and execution will change the way you lead. San
environment that leads to more efective execution. As the leader, Francisco, CA: Wiley.
you can instill a sense of the possible in an organization or team,
and a personal and tangible feeling that each contribution is a
step toward realizing a vision.

JULIE STRAW
As Vice President at Wiley, Julie Straw oversees a network of more than
1,800 trainers, coaches, and consultants. She is co-author of Te Work
of Leaders, published in 2013. Her ability to connect and engage people
is one reason why so many leaders have been able to proft from the
research in this book. She has a genuine talent for taking a new idea and
helping people see how it can make a diference in their lives. Julie is a
frequent speaker at national conferences and seminars. Julie is also the
author of Te 4-Dimensional Manager, published by Berrett-Koehler.

8 LEADERSHIP Vol. 20.1 Spring/Summer 2014

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