The responsibility of a leader

The biggest factor in whether an organization is going to succeed is the person in charge

The responsibility of a leader
There are many different things that go into whether or not an organization fails or succeeds. There's organization culture, the strength of business systems and processes, the quality of employees working in the organization, and more. But if there is one thing that is more widely recognized than any other, it's probably the influence the leader has on the organization.

You can probably think of many examples of great executives who have led their organizations to tremendous success. On the other hand, you can also probably think of many poor leaders who have drilled their organizations into the ground. On either side, it is clear to most anyone that the leaders at the top of an organization have a huge effect in how the organization turns out.

In his book The Advantage, leadership expert Patrick Lencioni writes: "There is just no escaping the fact that the single biggest factor determining whether an organization is going to get healthier – or not – is the genuine commitment and active involvement of the person in charge."

For better or for worse, leaders matter. If you are at the top of your organization, a great weight rests on your shoulders. As leaders in the mortgage industry, we need to take seriously our roles and pay attention to who we support as leaders. One great leader can make a remarkable difference for a company, and that can have ripple effects through the entire industry – and out into the rest of the economy. Being a leader requires great responsibility, and we must be up for the challenge!