Did you know the first stage of the Human Genome Project is done?  Working together, the global science community has identified the approx. 25k genes in human DNA.  

Cool, huh?  Yeah, but now what?  Now we get to start looking at all that data (the 3 billion chemical base pairs to make up DNA) to understand ourselves better and develop cures for diseases.  Identifying was only the first step.  

Your business has its own DNA, the countless individual parts that make up your market, work, identity, culture, teams, and goals.  But, it's more than just knowing details.  The act of discovery will help you get to the true essence of your business.  This knowledge helps you grasp what causes some "disorders" in your business.  But, it can also reveal vast potential you never knew existed.

Identifying your business DNA is a serious effort that takes great teamwork.  Oh, but what potential lies ahead!

Q: Do you know all you need about your business to lead it to its full potential?

The Microsoft Corporation is big. Really big.  Around the turn of the millennium, Microsoft's founder and CEO overtook the Sultan of Brunei as the wealthiest man in the world.  His name is Bill Gates - you've probably heard of him.
 
Interestingly, Chairman Gates knows his stuff.  In the midst of running one of the world's largest corporations, he found time to dig into his business.
 
Gates doesn't just know leadership, he knows the guts of the business, down to the computer code, the language used to write computer programs. Former Microsoft executives tell stories about sweaty-palmed meetings with him in which he dissected computer code as easily as he led the meeting.
 
Knowing the guts of your business is an integral aspect of leading.  So is understanding those you lead at that same molecular level.

Q: Does your team know the details of the story you hope to create?

We all remember being in school and getting back a paper for a class with feedback like, "Make this better," or "This needs to be different."  It's hard to know what to do with that, isn't it? 
 
As we think more about strategy in our worklife it's important to remember that the better we define our goals and expectations, the better our team will follow. Naturally, simply asking them to "do better" or "produce more" doesn't provide enough direction.  
 
An integral part of strategy is knowing exactly what you want and where you are headed. Dream big, and dream in specifics.  The details will change on the journey, but they help unify us.  Sharing the specifics of your vision is one of the best actions a leader can take.

Q: Have you raised the capital needed to fund a committed, engaged team?

One of the requirements of leadership is having others be willing to follow you.  To get them to do so you must pay them what they're worth.  

No, I'm not talking about money or salary here.  I'm talking about the true currency of a leader:  Direction and Possibility.  These two sides of the same coin make up essential capital for a leader.

Direction: You've got to know where you're going.  Even if it is just "East!"  If you don't know where you're headed, then you're not really leading.  It's just wandering with you in front.

Possibility:  What will you find along the way?  A new land? Treasure?  Peace of mind?  Goals may even change over time, but if you don't have one to begin with they can't evolve.