Leading Clarity

Leading Clarity: The Breakthrough Strategy to Unleash People, Profit, and Performance

About the Author

Brad Deutser is a renowned business advisor, culture authority, creative strategist, and executive coach to CEOs, board chairs, and top corporate management across diverse industries worldwide. As the president and CEO of Deutser, he drives organizational performance through clarity. His unique perspective and innovative consulting firm help leaders achieve unparalleled success by focusing on clarity in their business strategies.

Main Idea

In today's complex business environment, ambiguity and chaos often bog down individuals and organizations. "Leading Clarity" by Brad Deutser presents a bold proposal to change this trajectory by introducing a proven blueprint for creating clarity. Clarity, as Deutser argues, is the dynamic force that aligns and connects the most critical business principles, driving productivity, engagement, and performance to unprecedented levels.

Table of Contents

• The Six Sides of Clarity
• The Energy of Alignment
• Masqueraders of Clarity
• Clarity as Process, aka Magic
• Misalignment Will Derail You
• The Clarity Conundrum
• Think Inside the Box
• Performance by Design

The Six Sides of Clarity

The organizational box is a cube with six sides: four sides, a top, and a bottom. The bottom represents identity, which includes characteristics, purpose, values, and traditions. These elements answer the fundamental questions about the organization's essence and why it exists.

Characteristics: What is central, enduring, and distinct about the organization?

Purpose: Why does the organization exist? What needs does it fill?

Values: The shared beliefs and motives among leaders and employees.

Traditions: The behaviors and activities that foster a sense of shared identity.

The top of the box represents the environment, which includes external factors and stakeholder interactions. These elements align with the organization's characteristics, purpose, and values, ensuring consistency between internal culture and external perceptions.

The Energy of Alignment

Alignment is the power source in an environment where there is clarity about roles, direction, and purpose. When alignment occurs, it generates energy that propels individuals and teams forward, creating a sense of belonging and purpose. This energy attracts others and fosters creativity.

"Alignment becomes the power source in an environment in which we are clear about what we’re doing and why, what our role is in the shape of what’s to come, and even clear about what our reward will be for bringing more than 'good enough' to the table." - Brad Deutser

An example of alignment can be seen in a startup that increased its employees by more than a thousand in its first year. Through strategic and culture-defining exercises, the company created a fully aligned organization, leading to significant success.