A Proven Framework Where Values Drive Performance
Every organization is perfectly designed to achieve the results it gets, and to get great results, you must have a great design. Becoming a great company does not happen by chance – it depends first on a great design!
The GuideStar program combines powerful storytelling, real-world case studies, and structured learning experiences. By following this design framework, leaders at all levels can develop the knowledge and skills to create engaged teams, enhanced organizational alignment, and sustainable results.
The Four Pillars
The foundation for a Character-based Capitalism culture is built on four pillars.
- Shared Core Values – Who Leaders Are.
This pillar defines the cultural foundation through which acceptable attitudes, behaviors, and practices are established, reinforced, and rewarded.
- Leaders at All Levels – What Leaders Do.
Appreciating everyone for the value each contributes is the mark of effective leadership. Similarly, each person must develop as a leader because each has influence on decisions made by others, especially the external customers who determine the economic value of the company. - Transcendent Organizational Purpose – Why the Organization Exists. A well-defined transcendent company purpose guides everyone who gladly and willingly devotes mental and physical energies, not merely to make money but to make the world a better place by doing what is right for all stakeholders.
- Commitment to Performance Excellence – How Leaders Execute.
This commitment extends to and from everyone within the company or organizations because it drives continuous improvement and fosters collaboration, innovation, and mindfulness.
The four pillars are embedded within all of GuideStar’s Character-based Capitalism (CBC) Programs as the foundation from which the Journey to Performance Excellence emanates. The CBC Programs combine powerful storytelling, real-world case studies, and structured learning experiences based on the Four Dimensions of Appreciative Inquiry: Discovery, Dreaming, Designing, and Delivering, also known as the 4Ds.
The 4Ds engage participants at all levels and develop the knowledge and skills to employ teams, enhance organizational alignment, and achieve sustainable results. The modules, workbooks, and workshops for each pillar are structured to guide learning, discussions, and actions at each level for transforming individual leaders into organizational leaders and achieving results not previously imagined.
Foundational Knowledge
Each GuideStar program you facilitate begins with reading The Story of the Character-based Car Company within a kickoff meeting/orientation module that provides a program overview and introduces key concepts.
The book employs an illustrated parable to describe the leadership practices for Character-based Capitalism. It synthesizes the wisdom from thousands of pages in over thirty books and articles by experts such as Jim Collins and Daniel Goleman while weaving a story that can be read in less than an hour.
Program participants also receive a digital copy of the book It’s My Company, Too! It describes leadership practices resulting in award-winning performances within eight real-life organizations in different industries. Excerpts from these stories appear in program workbooks to illustrate the practices of Character-based Capitalism in actual companies.
These foundational resources provide the conceptual framework for the program you’ll deliver. Building upon these insights, the GuideStar methodology follows a carefully structured learning process designed to move participants from understanding to application.
Structured Learning Process
Character-based Capitalism Leadership Programs follow a proven development pattern, beginning with an Introductory Kickoff, followed by modules for each of the Four Pillars and concluding with an Action Plan. Interim action plans are embedded within each of the Four Pillars from which the overarching execution plan is created for organizational leadership to guide change.
Each learning module, which includes discussions and team learning for in-person sessions, follows a three-part learning process designed to maximize retention and application: Discovery, Practice, and Action Plan.
1. DISCOVERY
The Discovery phase equips you to provide your clients with knowledge and insights to develop the leadership practices they need to execute.
- Instructional videos expanding on best practices illustrated in The Story of the Character-based Car Company
- Success stories from award-winning organizations found in the book It’s My Company, Too! that reveal and reinforce best practices in action.
- Guided discussions and exercises to help you teach clients how to apply these practices in their company
2. PRACTICE EXERCISES
In the Practice Exercises phase, you’ll guide participants to examine how and where to apply concepts and ideas from the Discovery phase in their day-to-day work environment.
- Selection of two or more suggested behaviors from covered topics shared with colleagues during team meetings.
- Application and experimentation with concepts in real-world situations between sessions.
- Peer accountability and coaching.
3. ACTION PLAN
As new behaviors become more natural through practice, you’ll facilitate the transition to building the Organizational Leadership System, where communication systems, human resource practices, and artifacts reinforce the culture with:
- Individual assessment of current HR and communication practices in the company or area(s) of responsibility.
- Prioritization of areas for improvement, rated individually and as a team.
- Development of implementation plans for the top priorities determined by the team, with clear accountabilities assigned.
More Than Just A Training Program
Participants will be guided to develop the mindset and skills needed to embody Character-based Leadership by using the GuideStar methodology to systematically progress through discovery, practice, and implementation,
This approach creates ripple effects throughout the organization, fostering a culture where employees take ownership, collaborate effectively, and deliver exceptional performance.