This is Part 2 in a series of posts looking at how to stop managing and start managing as a leader. We are exploring are the critical aspects of effective leaders.

THEY ARE COMMITTED TO A VISION.  Leaders inspire others. They spend time working on their business instead of just working in their business, and they are willing to embody their vision.

John Yokoyama, the owner of the world famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, appeared on my weekly Business Leadership radio show. People come from all over the world to watch the fishmongers at the Pike Place Fish Market as they toss fish to each other. They are drawn there because the fishmongers have created a playful, boisterous environment.

When you enter, you are instantly greeted by the market’s energy. I asked Yokoyama how he supports his crew and creates such a lively and engaging workplace.

“Each crew member has made a commitment to making a world-famous difference to each and every customer who walks through the door,” he says. “As the owner, I have made a commitment to making a world-famous difference to each and every one of my employees. See, many businesses look at the success we’ve created and are eager to study how we’ve done that. They think it’s all about choosing our attitude, having fun, playing and making our customers’ day. But the way we consciously choose to show up
for our customers occurs as a natural result of the commitment to living our vision.”

The Pike Place Fish Market expresses and lives by a higher vision and purpose no different than the visions of Gandhi, Martin Luther King or even Kennedy when he declared we would put a man on the moon within a decade. A clear vision creates a clear end-game and inspires us to move from where we are now to where we want to be.

QUESTION: Do you have a vision or mission for your business? Please share if you do! I’d love to hear about what your vision is, and how you integrate it into the day-to-day operations of your business and how others respond to it!