A Leader’s Responsibility

I have a widgit on my iGoogle page that shares a daily leadership quote.  Today’s quote is:

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. ~ Max DePree

That quote says it all.  Hopefully part of the defined reality is putting the customer first.  Whether the role of leader is as the leader of the organization, a club or a department – the reality must include the customer:

• Their expectations
• Their needs
• Their problem
• Their goal
• What they value

A leader who begins by defining reality with the customer in mind sets the tone for putting the customer first in every aspect of the business.  Imagine if every department thought of the customer BEFORE they thought of profits, market share, critical mass or their paycheck.

A leader says thank you.  Of course.  Thank you to:

• the customer
• their employees
• their vendors
• their peers
• their board
• their investors

Begin with a reality of putting the customer first and end with a heartfelt thank you.

It just doesn’t get any better than that.