ABSTRACT
How many of us have worked in an organization where it seemed no one was at the helm? Were we unsure of our unit’s mission or how it fi tted in with the organization’s mission? Did we understand what the organization was trying to accomplish? In these settings we feel like we are foundering and have trouble seeing our purpose. Setting direction for people and organizations is the highest priority for leaders because it meets a basic human need to have purpose and to be on a journey. The critical points in setting direction include: the act of asking questions of ourselves and others to open the door for an evolving reality; respecting one’s intuition because it tends to be correct more often than chance would predict; and assimilating one’s own observations with those of others in order to have a clear picture of the organization’s internal and external environments. A direction becomes deliverable when risks are identifi ed and managed, and objectives are realistic relative to the organization’s capacity. A leader’s messages bring a direction to life and animate it so people can see it, hear it, and feel it. This element provides the tools necessary for the leader to set a clear direction and to get each and every member of their team on a fulfi lling journey.
