I know you are busy, but please stop a moment, take a break and read this question:

 

It’s a terribly busy time of year, I know, and you want to enjoy the holiday season with your family while also ensuring your distribution utility keeps the lights on for all those Christmas trees, home-cooked meals and Santa specials on TV.

 

But, be sure to take a few minutes to think about how you, as a leader in your company, will lead your people in 2018.

 

Will you lead with vision? It’s easy for people to get behind an enthusiastic leader — but enthusiasm won’t carry you across the finish line. You have to develop a vision and show people a glimpse of what is possible in the days ahead. People will go where they can see, and it’s up to you to show them what is possible, and how you are going to take them there.

 

Will you lead with clarity? Author and speaker Zig Ziglar often said, "A goal properly set is halfway reached." In order for your employees, your board, city leaders, customers or the general public to follow your lead, you must first properly set the goal you hope to achieve. Once you know what that goal is, communicate it clearly. And communicate it often. People will not follow a plan they don’t understand.

 

Will you lead with purpose? You are in a position of leadership at a public power utility. Your work has meaning. You are delivering vital services to a community, whether it’s 5,000 customers or less, or 50,000 customers or more. Your city simply would not function without the distribution system you manage. Remind your people of your company’s higher purpose, then lead them forward in that spirit.

                                                                                             

Will you lead with boldness? Beyond the day-to-day near miracle you and your team provide, what bigger goals have you set for the New Year? Maybe it’s a new substation. Maybe it’s a software conversion. Perhaps you’re thinking of restructuring your management team, or even adding a new service. The biggest goals may be the hardest to achieve, but they often yield the biggest gains for your organization and those you serve.

 

Will you lead with energy? It’s not easy being a leader of people. Beyond the mundane but necessary parts of your job, you have to work with the needs, idiosyncrasies and limitations of those you lead. All this effort can drain you mentally and physically. But who wants to follow a drained person who is a leader in name only? In order to be the energetic leader your team will want to follow, you must take care of yourself. Get enough sleep. Pay attention to what you eat and the exercise you get. Take time to nourish your mind with rest and quiet reflection, while exposing it to new ideas through reading, listening to podcasts and developing your thoughts by writing them down.

 

Will you lead with humanity? As I said, people can be a challenge just because they are people. We are complex beings, with personal and professional aspirations, concerns and challenges. There is a reason you have been placed in a position of leadership; if you view your role in that light and lead not just toward corporate goals but also toward personal goals, you will make an impact far beyond system reliability and customer satisfaction.

 

A new year provides an opportunity to set new goals, invigorate your staff and change the course of your utility. But in order to do that, you have to be a leader other people will follow. Start today by thinking about how you will lead in 2018.

 

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Stephen V. Smith is President/CEO of WordSouth — A Content Marketing Company, serving electric and telecommunications providers since 1996. Stephen can be reached at ssmith@wordsouth.com.