Cues Business Leaders Can Take from the Oscars
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) February 27, 2014 -- With the approach of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and distinguished events honoring achievement in the film industry, the 86th Academy Awards, leading executive coach Sonya Shelton of Executive Leadership Consulting advises there are valuable leadership lessons to be learned from Hollywood.
Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes excellence in film with the presentation of Academy Awards of Merit in 24 categories of achievement for industry professionals in every discipline of the field.
With the 2014 Oscars scheduled for this weekend, Shelton, an international speaker, consultant and author of the book ‘You’re an Executive, But Are You a Leader?’ offers 3 qualities the most effective business leaders share with the best filmmakers and the Academy.
1. CREATING SHARED VISION
Films don’t get nominated for Best Picture by coincidence. It takes harmony, balance, commitment, cooperation and hard work of everyone on the production team to produce a standout final product. This is achieved by enlisting others in the dream and painting a clear picture of the desired final product.
Likewise, successful business leaders recognize that having a clear vision and making it a shared vision throughout the organization is imperative.
“The word ‘leader’ implies direction. You are leading your team somewhere, but where? To lead an organization, it’s imperative to have a vision and to communicate it to create a shared sense of destiny,” said Shelton. “Involve others in setting the direction to help you paint the picture.”
2. RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE
Just as the Academy considers top performers in 24 categories, from Best Director to Sound Mixing, recognizing the successes of others is an important ingredient of leadership. Recognition of team members should go beyond management to include colleagues who though perhaps less visible have contributed in significant ways.
“Top performers can be found across any organization and at all levels,” said Shelton. “Just as a film’s score, editing, design and directing come together to create a memorable motion picture, all of a firm’s top producers play an important role and should be recognized often.”
3. CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS
The red carpet. The glitz. The pomp and circumstance. It’s all about building shared enthusiasm.
The ability to act as a motivator and sustain momentum is a key soft skill of effective leaders.
“To keep your teams moving in the right direction, you must reinforce the vision. Share how realizing the vision will benefit everyone, not just you personally and not just the bottom line,” Shelton advises. “Celebrate small wins and big achievements, and recognize everyone’s part in making them happen.”
For more insight and information about Executive Leadership Consulting, please visit http://www.executiveleader.com and follow Sonya Shelton on Twitter for leadership tips @SonyaShelton.
About Executive Leadership Consulting:
Sonya Shelton, CEO and founder of Executive Leadership Consulting, is the author of the book “You’re an Executive, But Are You a Leader?” As an international speaker and consultant, she shows managers and executives how to increase their leadership effectiveness so they can boost their professional and business results.
Executive Leadership Consulting offers workshops and coaching programs designed to develop leadership capability at all levels of the organization. Shelton designed the programs at Executive Leadership Consulting based on her more than 25 years’ experience as a leader in a variety of companies and industries, including the high-paced fields of publishing, advertising, and entertainment. She has worked as an executive coach and consultant with companies around the world from start-ups to Fortune 100 corporations, including Disney, Nestlé, and Microsoft.
Rosalie Rice, Executive Leadership Consulting, http://www.ExecutiveLeader.com, +1 (818) 473-5323, [email protected]
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